LEGUAN TATRA 10x10: Versatile and Efficient for Combat Support and Disaster Relief
In modern times, LEGUAN has become a synonym for fast and effective bridge launching. 20 armed forces have already chosen the LEGUAN system after extensive trials because of its outstanding performance and easy handling. Teaming, pooling and sharing of resources have become reality to the benefit of all users. The new wheeled LEGUAN generation secures high mobility for modern and optimized combat support and furthermore is perfectly suited to perform disaster relief operations.
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It is a vehicle with a 10x10 chassis, powered by a 340 kW Paccar diesel engine that complies with the Euro 3 emission standard. The vehicle is equipped with an armored cabin, whose level of protection against ballistic and explosive threats complies with the STANAG 4569 Level 3 alliance standard. The operating weight is 35 tons, the vehicle reaches a speed of 90 km/h and offers a maximum range of 800 km. In addition to the standard Leguan bridge, which is 26 m long and can bridge an obstacle 24 m wide, a shorter 14 m version of the bridge can also be used, allowing obstacles 12 m wide to be crossed. It is also noteworthy that when using the shorter bridge, the Tatra Phoenix 10x10 vehicle can transport two units. Laying or reloading the longer version of the bridge takes 8 minutes and only 4 minutes for the shorter bridge, with the two-member crew remaining under the protection of the armored cabin.
LEGUAN bridge complex
One of the great advantages of the LEGUAN bridge complex is that it can be installed on a wide variety of platforms. The basic version uses the Leopard 2A8 tank chassis, but the LEGUAN bridge system can also be mounted on other tracked armored vehicles or even on automotive chassis.
This has undoubtedly contributed to the fact that it is now virtually the standard NATO bridge system, as it has been adopted by eleven alliance armies, including the U.S. Army. In European countries, it is most often mounted on a Leopard 2 or Leopard 1 chassis, while the U.S. Army has opted for its own M1 Abrams tank chassis, resulting in the M104 Wolverine bridge tank. Another interesting case is Finland, where some of the LEGUAN complexes are mounted on Sisu truck chassis, while in Singapore, MAN vehicles are used for this purpose.
