Ladders

**meridian** · 19-02-2010, 15:26

Just read this

http://defensenews.com/blogs/dsei/20...combat-troops/

Its a bit of an old story (last Sep) but why does what seem like an improved ladder need outsourcing to BMT to come up with the answers?

Light bridging equipment, or a ladder as it is more commonly known, is in the throes of a technology make-over to ensure it is more suitable for use by heavily laden troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Responding to an urgent operational request from the frontline to come up with a better method of crossing ditches and scaling walls than a conventional ladder the Ministry of Defence turned to BMT Defence Services to provide an answer.

In the space of five weeks this summer the Bath, England-based consultancy conducted a survey of possible solutions and completed a competition involving more than a dozen bidders from the U.K. and overseas.

Eugene Morgan, the director of systems at BMT Defence Services, says the consultancy team running the project spoke to designers ranging from a supplier of ship gangways to a Formula 1 racing team in order to find the best possible solutions.

Morgan said recommendations on the top three or four designs for the 3 metre bridge requirement was submitted to the MoD last month.
He said he was unable to talk about the designs recommended to the MoD until a decision had been made on the way forward.

BMT is best known as a leading naval consultancy but has been diversifying into the defense land sector over the last couple of years on the back of the rapid growth of urgent operational requirement work from the MoD

What is going on when we have to outsource this kind ofrequest?

DE&S and DSTL haven't got the expertise?
DE&S and DSTL haven't got the time?

??

**eodmatt** · 19-02-2010, 15:28

Originally Posted by meridian

Just read this

http://defensenews.com/blogs/dsei/20...combat-troops/

Its a bit of an old story (last Sep) but why does what seem like an improved ladder need outsourcing to BMT to come up with the answers?

Light bridging equipment, or a ladder as it is more commonly known, is in the throes of a technology make-over to ensure it is more suitable for use by heavily laden troops fighting in Afghanistan.

Responding to an urgent operational request from the frontline to come up with a better method of crossing ditches and scaling walls than a conventional ladder the Ministry of Defence turned to BMT Defence Services to provide an answer.

In the space of five weeks this summer the Bath, England-based consultancy conducted a survey of possible solutions and completed a competition involving more than a dozen bidders from the U.K. and overseas.

Eugene Morgan, the director of systems at BMT Defence Services, says the consultancy team running the project spoke to designers ranging from a supplier of ship gangways to a Formula 1 racing team in order to find the best possible solutions.

Morgan said recommendations on the top three or four designs for the 3 metre bridge requirement was submitted to the MoD last month.
He said he was unable to talk about the designs recommended to the MoD until a decision had been made on the way forward.

BMT is best known as a leading naval consultancy but has been diversifying into the defense land sector over the last couple of years on the back of the rapid growth of urgent operational requirement work from the MoD

What is going on when we have to outsource this kind ofrequest?

DE&S and DSTL haven't got the expertise?
DE&S and DSTL haven't got the time?

??

Snakes

**Bravo_Zulu** · 19-02-2010, 19:53

Don't suppose anyone at the MOD thought of going to telescopicladders.co.uk before inviting vastly overinflated quotes from Formula 1 manufacturers for telescopic ladders?

Apparently telescopicladders.co.uk is even a real website: link