Where There's a Wheel, There's a Way.

• Author: Baker, A. Duffy
• Position: REFORS - Removable Folding Roadway Systems - Brief Article

Deployments in rugged terrain often have challenged Army vehicles, even those running on steel tracks. With U.S. Army funding, a company called Soframe, headquartered in Hangenbieten, France, has developed a mat-laying system that helps vehicles move around extremely rugged terrain, The system is called REFORS (Removable Folding Roadway Systems). It is a mosaic of aluminum hexagons, which can be stored folded on the bed of the truck. When it is needed, it unfolds and is automatically placed on the ground, creating a surface for the trunk to navigate.

To transport it, REFORS does not require a dedicated vehicle. Radian Inc., of Alexandria, Va., has integrated the REFORS system onto a Common Bridge Transporter (CBT). As part of the Army's...