Land Systems / Battlefield

M60 AVLB

Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge [ 1967 ]

The M60 AVLB was developed as a portable bridge-laying unit from the classic M60 Patton Main Battle Tank.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/21/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The M60 AVLB (Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge) was developed from the existing M60 Patton Main Battle Tank (MBT) as a dedicated bridge-launching vehicle. The design retained the form-and-function of the M60 combat tank but lacked its powered turret system (and therefore standard armament). In place of this component was a "scissors-type" bridge assembly set atop a specialized mounting used to launch and retrieve the bridge unit. The bridge has a running length of 60 feet and measured 13 feet wide - allowing most any vehicle to use traverse it. The bridge component was made up of two sections, seated one over the other when at rest. When extended, the unit unfolded from its shared hinge.

The bridge component was then disconnected from the host vehicle, allowing other army elements to traverse ditches and bodies of water that, in the past, would have proved problematic to an advancing ground force. One the bridge was used, the host vehicle could then cross its own bridge and retrieved the bridge component for reuse elsewhere on the battlefield. The bridge-laying operation could be completed in just five minutes by the crew of two (made up of a driver and vehicle commander).

The original M60 AVLB debuted in 1967 while its upgraded form appeared in 1987 after the arrival of the M60A1 production model. Power was served through a Continental AVDS-1790-2C diesel-fueled engine of 750 horsepower used to drive a conventional track-and-wheel arrangement, allowing the vehicle a range out (operationally) to 290 miles while achieving road speeds near 30 miles-per-hour. The hull was suspended atop a torsion bar suspension system allowing for the necessary cross-country capability required of the modern American Army and Marine forces.

The M60 AVLB went on to prove its usefulness in both "Persian Gulf" wars (1991, 2003) and continues to serve in limited numbers today (2019), most with foreign parties. Beyond its service with the United States Army and Marine Corps, the M60 AVLB has found a home in the ground forces of Israel, Pakistan, Singapore, and Spain.

For the American Army, the M60 AVLB has been replaced by the M104 "Wolverine" (detailed elsewhere on this site) based on the chassis and running gear of the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (in its M1A2 SEP production guise).

Specifications

Service Year

1967

Origin

United States

Crew

2
CREWMEN

Production

125
UNITS

General Dynamics Land Systems - USA

(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)

Egypt; Greece; Israel; Pakistan; Portugal; Singapore; Spain; United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Special Purpose
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.

Length

30.9 ft
9.43 m

Width

11.9 ft
3.63 m

Height

10.7 ft
3.27 m

Weight

116,001 lb
52,617 kg

Tonnage

58.0 tons
HEAVY

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base M60 AVLB production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)

Powerplant: 1 x Continental AVDS-1790-2C diesel-fueled engine developing 750 horsepower driving conventional track-and-wheel arrangement.

Speed

30.0 mph
(48.3 kph)

Range

279.6 mi
(450.0 km)

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base M60 AVLB production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)

None.

M60 AVLB - Bridgelayer form of the original M60 MBT; model of 1967.

M60A1 AVLB - Bridgelayer form of the follow-up M60A1 MBT; model of 1987.

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