DRDO’s Short Span Bridging System-10 m inducted

The first production lot of 12 Short Span Bridging System (SSBS)-10m, designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been inducted into Indian Army by Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane during a ceremony held at Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cant. on 2 July 2021.

The SSBS-10m plays a crucial role of bridging the gaps up to 9.5 m as a single span providing a 4 m wide, fully decked roadway, ensuring faster movement of the troops. Research & Development Establishment (Engrs) Pune, an engineering laboratory of DRDO, has designed and developed the system in association with L&T Ltd. The 12 bridges are part of 102 SSBS-10 m from L&T Ltd, which is the production agency. The Project Short Span Bridging System involved the development of two prototypes of 5 m SSBS on Tatra 6x6 chassis and another two prototypes of 10 m SSBS on Tatra 8x8 re-engineered chassis.