Marines Develop New Breaching System
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edited by Robert H. Williams
A lightweight anti-personnel obstacle breaching system is able to clear a 2-foot
wide path through 150 feet of treacherous minefield in 2 minutes flat.
This recent advance, which was developed by the Marine Corps Systems Command
program manager for ammunition, is contained in two, 60-pound backbacks. It
allows combat engineers from a safe, standoff position to fire a rocket with
a line charge composed of 108 grenade-like explosives across the area in question.
Called APOBS, this new system does the work of a squad deploying three Bangalore
torpedo kits weighing 450 pounds. An official points out that the traditional
approach takes at least 15 minutes to execute.
“The great advantage of the new system is that the two-person APOBS team
enjoys a safe, 35-meter standoff distance from the charges, exposing fewer Marines
to mine obstacles while decreasing the time on target exposed to enemy fire,”
said Frank Stevens, who led the team that developed the new breaching system.