DG Land Manoeuvre Systems visits British bridge builder

WFEL, supplier of rapidly deployable military bridging, this week welcomed Australian Army Brigadier Ed Smeaton, Director General Land Manoeuvre Systems, to their defence manufacturing facilities.

CAPTION: Managing Director WFEL Ian Anderton, Brigadier Ed Smeaton and WFEL DSB Launcher Integration Consultant Chris Jackson during a tour of WFEL’s military bridging manufacturing facilities in Stockport, UK.

Brigadier Smeaton’s organisation, which is part of the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, is responsible for the acquisition and through-life support of a wide range of land-based capabilities required by the Australian Defence Force, including bridging.

Brigadier Smeaton said he was delighted to be shown around WFEL’s production facility, which is currently supplying a number of its dry support bridges (DSB) and medium girder bridges (MGB) to the ADF under the Land 155 Phase 1 Enhanced Gap Crossing Capability Project.

He was also keen to discover more about WFEL’s wider technical capabilities within the defence sector, and to see the latest developments across a full range of rapidly deployable bridging products.

As a user of WFEL’s MGB bridges since the 1970s, the ADF has recently taken delivery of their first new sets of WFEL’s rapidly-deployable bridging systems, and Brigadier Smeaton was keen to observe the technical operations behind the manufacture of these bridges.

“My visit today was extremely informative and the team were both passionate and engaging,” Brigadier Smeaton said.

“It was a particularly good opportunity to understand the design and complexity that goes into the manufacturing of these bridging products.

“As a customer and user, it was reassuring to see the level of testing and quality assurance completed at each stage in the process.”

Managing Director Ian Anderton said WFEL was extremely proud to have supplied our Australian customer with a world-leading set of bridging systems.

“We look forward to developing our ongoing relationship further.”

.

.

.

.

.

.


.


.