The launching nose is largely constructed from standard bridge components.

Single-span bridges are launched using a centrally mounted launching nose.

This is achieved by erecting a temporary launching nose at the front of the bridge and pushing the bridge over the gap on rollers.

After pushing the bridge over the gap, the launching nose is dismantled and the bridge is jacked down onto its bearings.

In this system the front-most portion of the bridge is angled up with wedges into a "launching nose" and most of the bridge is left without the roadbed and ribands.

As with the Bailey bridge, a useful feature of the Callender-Hamilton bridge is that it can be assembled entirely on one side of a gap and with a removable launching nose added then be projected to the other side.

The MGB also requires very little maintenance once erected, is air transportable in either standard palletised loads or in partially assembled bridge configurations, and all US components will fit MGBs in use by allies (except for the launching nose cross girder posts)