Moving heavy armour across rivers at speed with British Army’s bridging specialists

The British Army's specialist bridging engineers are proving their worth to the battlefield during Exercise Immediate Response in Poland.
Despite being short of work during operations conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan, the modern battlefield is proving to be a more welcoming place for these specialists.
The Commanding Officer of 23 Amphibious Engineer Squadron, Major Ryan Ingram, said: "We're a simple enabling action, but not a lot of people get to play with us very often.
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[@tts8361]

It's a capability, which the British army wanted to abandone altogether in 2014, when 28 Engineer Regiment was disbanded. The capability only survived, because they were subordinated under German/British engineer battalion 130. They're part of German 1st Panzerdivision.

[@VanderlyndenJengold]

This was part of my grandad's job in WW2 - without him we wouldn't've won! He also demined and did other stuff, plus would often try and visit the American canteens.... their food was miles better.

[@nathanielwhite8769]

Great to see British Army Engineers homing their skills in this crucial, and far too often overlooked capability. Without these types of capabilities being homed and refined, along with robust logistical support, effective combined arms manoeuvre cannot take place. Cheers!

[@JCStaling]

agreed yet troops crossing rivers are extremely vulnerable

[@Jimmythefish577]

We have only one such unit, what do we do when it’s invariably knocked out?

[@Akm72]

​@@Jimmythefish577we only had one division of 'Hobert's Funnies' in WW2. What did we do when they were inevitably knocked out?

[@nathanielwhite8769]

@@JCStaling Yes, I couldn’t agree more, as I also feel that the Army’s Ground based Battlefield Air Defence capabilities are totally inadequate, laughable even. Significant funding needs to urgently go into Integrated layered Short to Medium Range Air Defence Systems along with Mobile Tracked and Wheeled V-SHORAD Platforms with a significant emphasis on Counter UAS capabilities. The current situation that the Army finds itself in, is depressing to say the least.

[@joe-vl3nd]

More Money for the Military Nice one lads 👍🇬🇧

[@phooogle]

Go on boys!

[@thecurlew7403]

What boys 70 000 thats what's left of BA Russia laughs at them the brits talk the talk that's all the mod won't spend not. 😊

[@tomstravels520]

Is it true that Maj Ingram had a bet with the US as to who could get vehicles across the fastest? Apparently Brits only took 18 mins and US took an hour

[@EnglishScripter]

Yeah.

[@sandmanuk6486]

yanks at this exact moment rising from the ground to say the opposite even without a link or having watched any video:

[@shannonhenson609]

​@@sandmanuk6486Only in your anti-American imagination. 🤷

[@sandmanuk6486]

@@shannonhenson609 I apologise for blaming one of the only Americans who doesn't do that. I forgot that among so many people, some have common sense, although it's hard to see an American not wanting to be top 1.

[@sandmanuk6486]

@@shannonhenson609 i'm not anti-yank. It's hard to accept, but it's a fact that Americans always want to be better than everyone else at everything, which is impossible.

[@notABGwnabe]

britain casually having high tech moving bridges, meanwhiles the US has to push theirs 😂😂😂

[@fergal2424]

those bridge vehicles have been in service since 96. The British military is woefully underdeveloped and underfunded.

[@notABGwnabe]

@@fergal2424 hey im from canada…..thats all i gotta say…

[@fergal2424]

@@notABGwnabe I'm Irish ahaha, basically no military to speak of.

[@RussTillling]

Super interesting thank you

[@Archimedeeez]

no bridge too far

[@tomcarhome]

Keep up the good work guys

[@Ian20232]

Great to hear Brits are back in Minden. I left there back in 93 when the garrison closed. Certa cito.

[@richardpool481]

Only 1 Sqn in NATO WTF used to be a whole Regt at Hameln 28 Amphibious Engineer Regt UBIQUE!!

[@willsutton04]

There is a whole regiment. 23 amphibious engineer regiment idk why he said only one sqn

[@lindsaydrewe8219]

Wow. Just imagine if this type of tech had been available in bygone eras❤❤

[@fergal2424]

they've had pontoon bridges for decades.

[@jonathanhodgson2142]

top guys.

[@BruvaBob]

Thats great..... now if only we had some heavy armour

[@daleduddridge6903]

We should have at least 500 challenger 3's.

[@Fester_]

There faces and general attitude/demeanour do not mark them as our usual Sir yes Sir troops.

[@AnnCox-kp3pc]

Yes, lads, Go British Army 18 minutes to place the bridge. You are best of the best. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@robnorton9496]

Hot Cats knocking shop nearby. Lovely stuff👍

[@pauldean8638]

Things that are stationary to long get hit , we learned this already with the Ukraine conflict. Modern conflicts killed the idea of pontoons and temporary bridges. One fab 1500 and that vessel ain’t going to be in the water no more

[@keithdurose7057]

General Dynamics makes these now? They are product of Eisen Werke Kaiserslautern.

[@catlee8064]

Did the first Ulan eagle back in the 90s....had jim davidson do a concert for us at the end.....

[@andyt3304]

Remember the Cylumes at his show?

[@catlee8064]

@@andyt3304 Nope...but i remember the Brigadier come on and tell us to stop heckling him....

[@andyt3304]

@@catlee8064 LOL I Remember that. I think a WO1 came on first and got Cyalumed / Canned and then the Brigadier came on. If I remember correctly Jim stormed off stage twice. I got back to Fally a couple of day's later and the Jim Davidson "Entertaining the Troop's in Poland" DVD was already on sale in the NAAFI. Minus all the things we've mentioned here. Happy day's

[@catlee8064]

@@andyt3304 You was in Fally? Unit?

[@andyt3304]

@@catlee8064 2RTR mate. Who was you with?

[@carabus0354]

Excellent stuff. I know this is only training but I think it maybe a good idea to mount a few GPMG's to cover incase of drone attacks, these can happen in any AO as seen in Ukraine. Should add it to the training package.

[@synchc]

It's not like you can hide these things. If a drone's coming, it's coming. Adding cost and complicating the procedure, logistics and training on the off chance somebody spots (because you aren't hearing sweet FA) a drone seems counterproductive. Better, I think, to keep it uncomplicated, use it sparingly and don't hang around unless the AO is secure. The RE have better, more permanent solutions for river crossings. They just aren't as dynamic, pardon the pun.

[@TheCoolCucumber]

For any operation involving engineers, things have gone pretty wrong when the engineers are having to defend themselves against the enemy. In any real world scenario these units would have friendly forces to provide protection for the crossing and the engineers doing the heavy lifting. But in this particular training scenario, it seemed more like a refinement of skills than an integrated exercise meant to represent a contested river crossing in a combat zone - I reckon the major 1000 vehicles in 24 hours exercise to follow will include those force protection elements, though.

[@Jimmythefish577]

What a dumb suggestion, a gpmg will never hit a fast moving drone, if that was the answer the Russians would be knocking them out of the sky left right and centre.

[@wargey3431]

@@Jimmythefish577theirs a reason why the army has VSHORAD in the form of stormer vital positions like this would be protected from UAS and the likes with those

[@petermclelland278]

Practising retreat will be wise!

[@studinthemaking]

Wide wet gap?

[@daveofyorkshire301]

Heavy duty military hovercrafts would do the job, although they're more landing craft than bridging...

[@synchc]

Also a nightmare on logistics and to maintain, I'd imagine. Even the Rus are giving up on them.

[@daveofyorkshire301]

@@synchc actually they're still in service with a few militaries, including the USA. They can't be beaten as landing craft...

[@bobnewhart4183]

👍👍👍 - All looking good !!! 👍👍👍 ... however ... don't forget that everyhing shown in this video exists in too few units .. !!! ... as well as ... everything not shown in this video .. !!! The British Army is simply too small for a real near peer or even worse : a peer fight .. !!! ⛔ MORE RESOURCES ARE URGENTLY NEEDED .. !!! ⛔ ( IF a fight is on the cards !!! ) IF 'this' is just theatre : then there's plenty to go around .. !!!

[@alangordon3283]

Behave pipeage they’re no smaller than what they had before with these machines.

[@verynormalperson7003]

The british army, as it did in both previous world wars, sees itself more as a supportive role in a major european war, until we can considerably bulk up our forces to play a greater role. The British army will only secure a smaller sector of the frontline while the rest of the European armies and America support the rest.

[@danielkrcmar5395]

​@@verynormalperson7003 And, in both world wars that was an awful strategy...

[@whya2ndaccount]

The BMPs could of course swim.

[@Akm72]

Not that well and their ability to get out on the other side of the river is a bit limited.

[@whya2ndaccount]

@@Akm72 Well its a prepared crossing site with suitably graded banks, etc.

[@Akm72]

In this case but the equipment will work with a wider range of river banks than a BMP can handle ​@@whya2ndaccount

[@nicholasforman1195]

Great to see the UK operating so efficiently with NATO partners….

[@romeolanuza2120]

In USA armed forces Seabease

[@clivecartey]

........and did the British Army build & cross before the US Army ? Was it not minutes-v-hours ? Would it not have been good to mention - good for British Army morale ?

[@JCStaling]

i think the british army won this argument

[@christopherwarren9439]

why do the Americans have to fly flags on there stuff when they suppose to be on a exercise training not showing off

[@daleduddridge6903]

The British army are the best at everything militarily. And if per chance someone does get lucky against us, we learn quick to ensure it doesn't happen twice. We might not have quantity but we make up for it in quality. If they keep up the rhetoric Russia might find out the hard way one day!

[@brianholding4357]

🇺🇦🇬🇧

[@peterabbott1974]

0:54 surely Russian artillery will take this out within 10 minutes?

[@SnakePliskin762]

Their artillery won't last long with NATO airpower around.

[@seanmoran2743]

@@SnakePliskin762Well considering Russia has a lot of Air Defence The losses to NATO would be considerably

[@SnakePliskin762]

@@seanmoran2743 their air defence won't last long. Ukraine's still flying after 2 and a half years. Imagine what a full NATO air onslaught would do.

[@DavidMotion-uv2pu]

I hope they are training the Ukrainians to cross the Dnipro.

[@paulgee1952]

Impressive, however looks bad design for the soldiers under fire ? Of course it is niche ,because of hollowing out ,but the armed services need to be combined arms now. So all should be training for this type of Navy lark IMO. Recapped as Marines for the foreseeable future ,off of mainland operations and back on coastal duties including NATO requirements at sea. Where are the regiments of dronebot fusiliers, and iron dome. Sunak?

[@Pemmont107]

KZbin keeps deleting my comment for some reason. But basically the answer isn't more armour on the boat, but having good protection from other assets - Such as aircraft and air defences. And also completing the landing quickly so they'd be able to get out before being hit.

[@paulgee1952]

@@Pemmont107 Drone proliferation and use make that air superiority assumption false ? Every month range ,capacity and EW stealth is being improved . Having armour unable to traverse water without this type of equipment is at risk of becoming obsolete at the front , with smaller more agile stand off munition platforms , literally running circles around your armour and cutting off your supplies?

[@mnblkjh6757]

🇬🇧🇪🇺👍🙂

[@iLoveBeingDelusional4U]

Bleeding ell, beards are just not cricket.

[@synchc]

You live in a world where Botham never happened. That was twenty years before Flintoff wore a tinsel thin silver chain that I used to look down my nose at. Nowadays archer sports a solid gold thing that looks like it belongs in the Tower Of London and probably takes an mph off his deliveries. I'm all for change except when my £5 note magically changes into three 50p pieces.

[@danielkrcmar5395]

We don't have the air defence capability for these to be effective in modern warfare.

[@EnglishScripter]

Oh because Russian air forces have been soo active over Ukraine.

[@danielkrcmar5395]

@@EnglishScripter No, it's because FPV and lingering drones are now used enmass and have been proven to decimate troops doing river crossings. The Russian Air Force however is now doing daily sorties over the frontlines and are increasingly playing a large role.

[@igor7000]

Well that's one explanation for the DragonFire has been fast tracked.

[@TheJon2442]

Nice to see one NATO country proudly flying their flag!

[@chrismitchell4622]

Send the equipment to Ukraine its only just over the border!

[@gocrazy336]

16 mobile Brigid will last a few days

[@Fjprints]

Thats how many they have there. there will be more in the UK.

[@jonnyh9388]

Maybe, but depends what they would be tasked to fight. Regardless, I’d pity the troops who took on the Paras.

[@basedglennuk]

Joe Biden's men right there..

[@iantobanter9546]

Balls to NATO- protect the Kent border that's what us taxpayers want.

[@edwardjohn4026]

No it's not

[@jububoobaroo67]

Im sort of confused here. Britains demographics are extremely diverse, to find this many of the same non POC in one place would be difficult. Have you considered a mass recruitment drive for asians and africans to even out the ranks, maybe stop taking as many White soldiers for diversity.

[@tomstravels520]

It’s bad enough when the other side does it so why do you have to bring it up as well?

[@stevebarlow3154]

There are an increasing number of recruits coming from the ethnic minorities and more need to be encouraged to join. But they need to be of a suitable standard, employing people solely on the basis of their skin colour could be disastrous if they can't cut the mustard. Traditionally the Military has recruited from the Commonwealth, as well as the UK and the Gurkhas from Nepal and the Fijians in particular have made very good soldiers.

[@jububoobaroo67]

@@stevebarlow3154 why not form prison units like Wagner, offer them freedom if they survive

[@RussTillling]

😂😂

[@jububoobaroo67]

@@tomstravels520 because the real issue I have is it's always diversity when it comes to benefits but then when someone has to die for the system its 100% White dudes. So we're expendable to you.

[@MarkFarrington-hb2ne]

American bridging equipment, Warsaw Pact era designed vehicles crossing, very British for the flag waivers

[@barracuda008l4]

Great equipment and team.... but lead the way... it is an exercise som3one ghag organised it decided whom go first