TITAN ARMOURED VEHICLE LAUNCHER BRIDGE (AVLB)

The Titan is a new armoured engineer vehicles based the Challenger 2 main Battle Tank (MBT) chassis. Titan is designed to cross gaps of up to 60 metres, laying a selection of close support bridges.

It can carry and lay the current range of In-Service No 10, 11 and 12 Close Support Bridges, providing ground manoeuvre formations with improved operation of the bridges enabling them to be laid in a greater range of terrain conditions.

Titan can launch the 26 metres No 10 bridge in two minutes and using integral trestles and wedges can lay multiple combination bridges in depths of 5 metres, and overbridge oil pipelines and bridges. Titan can carry two 13.5 metres No 12 bridges, which are laid in only 90 seconds. No other Armoured Engineer Vehicle in the world based on latest generation battle tank chassis has this range of capability.

The replacement of the Chieftain AVRE and AVLB systems by the Trojan Engineer Vehicle and the Titan Bridge Launcher means that the British Army has a common heavy armour fleet based on the Challenger 2 MBT chassis.

Both vehicles are manufactured by the Alvis subsidiary of BAe Systems (Now BAe Global Combat Systems).

These vehicles represent the first armoured engineer vehicles specifically designed (rather than adapted from battle tank chassis) for their role and incorporate the very latest mobility and survivability features, many of which are also planned for Challenger 2.

Improved visibility is achieved by incorporating direct and indirect vision devices with low light, image intensifying and thermal imaging capabilities.

The interior, and to some extent the exterior, of the vehicles have been designed around the crew station positions.

A contract worth £250 million was awarded during early 2001 for the supply of 66 vehicles – 33 x Trojan and 33 x Titan. Deliveries to the RE commenced in late 2006.