In the world of military operations, reliability and precision are not just desirable attributes – they are non-negotiables. Every piece of equipment, every process, every lift must perform flawlessly in the most demanding conditions. Whether it’s loading an armoured vehicle onto a transport ship, positioning a helicopter rotor blade or installing radar systems on a naval vessel, hoisting equipment is the backbone of modern military logistics and engineering support.
While often overlooked, lifting operations underpin almost every aspect of defence readiness. Without robust, adaptable and safe hoisting systems, today’s armed forces would struggle to deploy, maintain or recover the vast array of vehicles, aircraft and technology that define modern warfare.
Military logistics is a science of movement – and at the heart of that movement is lifting. The ability to load, position and secure heavy or sensitive assets efficiently can determine whether an operation succeeds or stalls.
In peacetime or combat support roles, hoists and lifting systems are essential for a range of tasks, from loading armoured vehicles, munitions and containers onto transport aircraft, ships or flatbeds; handling and maintaining aircraft engines, rotor systems and fuselage components; and constructing or maintaining temporary field structures and logistics hubs in remote environments.
“The hoist and lifting industry is vital to the defence supply chain,” explains Malcolm Peacock, group business development manager for the pewag group, which includes pewag, Modulift, and pewag levo – the company behind Load Monitoring Systems (LMS) and Aberdeen Web. Responsible for developing strategic partnerships across key industries, including the defence sector, Peacock ensures that pewag’s lifting and lashing and load monitoring solutions meet the high standards of military operations worldwide. “The pewag group has a long-established relationship with the defence sector, supplying lifting and lashing systems, spreader beams and load monitoring systems used across land, air and water. Our products are deployed in vehicle transport, logistics, shipyard maintenance and equipment handling – wherever reliability, safety and traceability are mission critical. With manufacturing and engineering centres in Europe and the UK, we’re proud to support defence organisations with certified, Nato-compatible equipment built for harsh operational environments.
“From loading armoured vehicles and containers onto transport vessels to positioning aircraft components and weapon systems, safe lifting enables mobility, readiness and repair capability. Without precision lifting and handling equipment, much of today’s military logistics and engineering support would not be possible. “pewag products are in use across the defence sector, supporting vehicle transport, airbase maintenance and shipyard lifting operations.” Simply put, hoisting systems are a silent but indispensable force multiplier – enabling the military to move faster, safer and with greater precision.
Flexibility is key
The equipment used in military lifting operations is as varied as the environments in which it operates. From fixed-base workshops to mobile field units, each application demands specific functionality, load capacity and environmental resilience.
“Defence operations rely on equipment that performs in extreme and unpredictable conditions,” says Peacock.
Electric chain and wire rope hoists are staples in aircraft hangars, maintenance bays and naval dockyards. They provide high lifting capacities with fine control, ideal for maintenance and assembly operations.
Pneumatic (air) hoists, on the other hand, are favoured in hazardous or explosive environments, such as ammunition handling or fuel storage areas, where the risk of electrical sparks must be eliminated. Take JD Neuhaus’s JDN PROFI pneumatic hoists, which are explosion-proof to ensure their suitability for hazardous areas. Compared to an electric chain hoist, pneumatic hoists are designed to be robust and function under extreme conditions.
Critical for balancing large or irregular loads, spreader beams and lifting points distribute weight evenly, ensuring stability and preventing damage. “Modulift spreader beams,” explains Peacock, “are commonly used for assembling or maintaining critical assets.” In naval and aerospace maintenance, they are indispensable for safely handling fuselages, propeller assemblies or containerised equipment. With the option of MOD 6 to MOD 1100/2000 available depending on load and span, Modulift’s spreader beams are modular, lightweight and portable, allowing customers to mix and match components to reuse. At pewag, its lifting points can be welded onto military equipment and are ideal for lifting under harsh conditions, offering maximum safety.
Digital load cells and monitoring systems provide real-time feedback on load weights, balance and tension. Military-grade load cells, Peacock notes, “provide accurate, real-time load data – crucial to ensuring equipment and personnel safety in the field”.
For example, at LMS, an advanced load cell data logging software, allows for the real-time monitoring of up to 100 load cell devices. Another example of load monitoring technology used in the industry is Dynamic Load Monitoring’s tensile link load cells, which have been utilised by the RAF and British army, offering lightweight wireless tension measuring unit designed robustly for harsh environments.
Lifting in the military differs fundamentally from commercial or industrial sectors.
While a manufacturing plant might control every variable of its environment, military operators face unpredictable conditions. “Unlike commercial or industrial settings, military lifting often takes place in remote, time-sensitive or hostile environments,” says Peacock. “Equipment must be rugged, reliable and quick to deploy, while still meeting the same strict standards of precision and certification. There’s also the added pressure of operational secrecy and mobility.”
That unpredictability demands an extra layer of reliability. Equipment must be light enough to transport, strong enough to endure shock and vibration, and simple enough to operate under pressure – sometimes by personnel wearing protective gear or working in low-visibility conditions.
Hoists used in military applications are, therefore, purpose-engineered to balance mobility, strength and precision. Redundancy and fail-safes are standard, ensuring that if one system falters, operations can continue safely.
To ensure supplier qualifications and compliance with these standards, and streamline this process of ensuring businesses accreditation, the UK uses Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register (JOSCAR), a single, collaborative repository for pre-qualification and compliance information for suppliers in aerospace, defence and security industries, allowing buyers a single database to find and verify suppliers. Companies such as Modulift, Dynamic Load Monitoring, Street Crane and TENSOLOGY are registered on JOSCAR, which strengthens their presence in the sector. After the success of the programme in the UK, the Australian Department of Defence and several local companies have joined JOSCAR as well in June 2024 to work under one supply chain system that emulates the UK programme and lower costs for SMEs.
Precision engineering
In military engineering, precision is power. The installation of a radar dome, the alignment of a helicopter gearbox, or the fitting of a missile guidance assembly – all require absolute accuracy.
Modern hoists achieve this precision through variable speed control, synchronised multi-point lifting and fine load positioning technologies. Operators can raise or lower loads by millimetres, ensuring perfect alignment without risk of impact or imbalance. This level of control isn’t just a matter of convenience – it’s essential for handling high-value, mission-critical components that could cost millions and determine operational effectiveness.
As Peacock mentions, it’s not just precision that is a necessity to military lifting operations. “Safety is at the heart of every defence application,” he says. While safety is important in all lifting operations across all industries – but in the defence sector, it’s amplified by a different scale and consequence. Every lift carries not only physical risk but operational impact: damage to a critical component could ground an aircraft or delay a mission.
To ensure the highest levels of safety, all military lifting systems are manufactured and tested under certified quality frameworks such as ISO 9001, EN and DNV, and undergo rigorous inspections and testing before deployment, Peacock explains.
Modern hoists incorporate electronic overload protection, automatic braking systems and emergency stop features, giving operators precise control while safeguarding against misuse. Advanced monitoring tools can detect unusual load patterns or mechanical strain, triggering alerts before an accident occurs.
Perhaps most importantly, hoists dramatically reduce the need for manual handling. By automating heavy lifts, they protect personnel from strain injuries, fatigue and accidents – a vital consideration in field environments where medical support may be limited.
While safety and precision dominate the conversation, efficiency and cost effectiveness are also critical to military operations. Defence organisations operate under tight budgets and must account for every asset’s life cycle cost.
“Modern, high-quality lifting and hoisting solutions directly enhance mission efficiency and readiness,” continues Peacock. High quality lifting equipment plays a direct role in reducing downtime, maintenance costs and operational delays. Durable, corrosion resistant components reduce replacement frequency, while integrated monitoring systems help schedule preventive maintenance rather than reacting to failures.
“Reliable equipment reduces downtime, improves safety for personnel, and allows rapid deployment of heavy assets,” he says. “When operations take place in unpredictable conditions, the right equipment isn’t just a cost consideration – it’s a strategic advantage that supports faster, safer decision-making.”
In essence, efficient lifting is operational readiness in action: it ensures that equipment is available, deployable and safe – when and where it’s needed.
Digitalisation is unlocking new capabilities, including predictive maintenance, as AI and machine learning can analyse usage data to forecast wear and tear, preventing breakdowns before they occur. Remote monitoring also offers supervisors the ability to oversee lifting operations from central command posts, improving safety and decision-making.
Automated compliance reporting systems can automatically log load weights, lift durations and operator IDs, ensuring traceability and accountability for every lift. While integration with defence IT systems means that lifting data can feed into broader logistics and asset management systems, creating a unified operational picture.
In the future, autonomous or semi-automated lifting systems may further reduce human risk and increase consistency, particularly in hazardous or high-tempo environments.
Beyond performance and technology, sustainability is emerging as a defining theme in defence procurement. Militaries are increasingly evaluating the environmental impact and life cycle efficiency of equipment – from energy use to material sourcing.
“Modern hoisting systems are being designed with longer service lives, modular components and recyclability in mind. By investing in durable, repairable systems, defence organisations can reduce both waste and overall cost of ownership.”
Peacock anticipates this trend to only continue accelerating: “We expect continued growth in digitally connected and modular lifting systems, alongside greater emphasis on sustainability and life cycle efficiency. In the defence sector, the focus will remain on reliability, interoperability and traceability – ensuring that every component used in a lift meets the highest standards of performance and accountability.”
Variable loads
Military lifting presents challenges unlike any other sector. From saltwater corrosion in naval applications to vibration and dust in desert operations, every environment introduces new variables.
Hoisting systems must resist shock, maintain integrity in extreme temperature swings and remain functional despite limited maintenance opportunities. “Defence environments present extreme operational challenges,” agrees Peacock. “From sub-zero climates to desert heat. Equipment must resist corrosion, shock, vibration and impact while remaining lightweight and easy to handle. Reliability, certification and aftersales support are key – because in defence, failure simply isn’t an option.”
Transportability is also key: systems must be compact, modular and easy to assemble in the field.
Then there’s the challenge of confidentiality and security. Defence operations often require equipment that can operate in classified settings, with digital systems hardened against cyber threats and compliant with defence communication protocols.
In this context, after-sales support and training become as vital as the equipment itself. Manufacturers work closely with armed forces to ensure operators are trained to the highest standards and that spares and calibration services are available worldwide In military operations, lifting is more than a logistical function – it is a foundation of capability. Hoists, chains, spreaders and monitoring systems enable the armed forces to build, maintain, deploy and recover assets safely and efficiently across every domain.
The hoist industry’s contribution may be unseen, but its impact is profound. Every successful deployment, every repaired aircraft, every mission-ready vehicle depends on the strength, precision and reliability of this vital technology.
As defence operations evolve towards greater automation, digitalisation and sustainability, the partnership between the military and the hoist industry will only grow stronger. Because in the world of defence – where failure isn’t an option – it’s the unseen strength of lifting systems that keeps the mission moving.
