EFA (mobile bridge)

EFA
The EFA folded into truck.
Place of origin	France
Specifications
Armour	none

The EFA or Engin de Franchissement de l'Avant (forward crossing apparatus) is a field-deployable river crossing apparatus, used by combat engineers in the French Army. It may either be used as a bridge (deployed in a series), or as a ferry.

The crew consists of four people:

• 1 equipment commander
• 1 driver
• 1 pilot
• 1 crewman

The EFA is the heir of the first self-propelled bridging vehicle invented in 1955 by the French military engineer and general Jean Gillois (born in Châteaubriant 1909). Tray Gillois entered service with the French army in 1965. A version modified by EWK was successively adopted by the German, British and to a limited extent American militaries, and was used by Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. At the time of its introduction it was able to carry vehicles up to a maximum weight of 25 tons, the current version supports loads of about 50 tons. It takes between 45 and 65 minutes to form a bridge 100 meters long. Tray Gillois avoids the heavy and bulky convoys, barges brought in by road, which are sensitive to enemy attacks. It takes about half a day to create a 100-metre deck.

Deployed EFA

See also

• Bailey bridge
• Pontoon bridge

External links

• Description page on the site of the French Ministry of Defence