Military Bridging

Contents: Preface. Acknowledgement. 1. Historical background. 2. Combat engineering. 3. Types of military bridges. 4. Design of military bridging equipment. 5. Integrated logistics support. 6. The bridging equipment worldwide. 7. Relevant technologies. 8. Military bridge classification system. 9. The future. Glossary. Index.

"The monograph on Military Bridging bridges the gap that has somehow crept in over the years between the acquisition of different types of Combat Engineer Equipment and availability of comprehensive reference material that can establish a relationship between these equipments. The large inventory, though always felt as too inadequate by the user, has to be seen in the larger sense of developing tactics and doctrines around them. Also most important factor is the dynamic battlefield that can pose different problems at different times. Therefore, one has to have an innovative solution to select the equipment in a non-traditional manner. The way the technological developments are rapidly taking place, new solutions must emerge at shorter intervals. Thus the User \'Pull\' and Technology \'Push\' should produce dramatic results.

This monograph is not a panacea for all these problems. It only attempts to put the things together so as to enable a knowledgeable user to find a common thread from the age old battles to the future. Of particular importance will be the material technologies, design codes and integrated logistics support. In the process, if the reader gets some useful guidance and information from this book, the purpose will be well served."