Prometheus 6

M303 Special Operations Forces demolition kit

The Army's Special Operations Forces have performed demolition operations dating back to pre-World War II using bulk explosives and non-standard, improvised methods. Soldiers have used materials found in the field such as junk yard scrap, glass champagne bottle bottoms and steel plates and molded the explosive to them in an attempt to increase the efficiency of the charges for specialized missions. Since the advent of munitions incorporating explosively formed penetrators as warheads, the Special Operations Forces have learned to build demolition charges using this technology. Often times, through trial and error, they succeed in building EFP demolition charges that will destroy the intended targets. However, their improvised demolition EFPs are rarely optimized nor do they have consistent and reliable performance because of the variability in materials and building techniques they employed.

In addition to fabricating the charges, the soldiers must improvise methods to attach the charges to a wide variety of targets, often for extended periods of time, in virtually all environmental conditions. The attachment methods also require the soldier's direct presence at the target. It could be a bridge's support columns, an electrical power substation, etc. Many of these missions do not permit a safe stand-off distance from the target during emplacement of the demolition charges. This exposes the soldiers to detection and eradication by the enemy forces.

To overcome these deficiencies, TACOM-ARDEC recently developed M303 Special Operations Forces Demolition Kit to provide the Special Operations Forces soldiers with state-of-the-art components and methods needed to accomplish their missions more safely, efficiently, and effectively while improving their survivability. The SOFDK allows soldiers to remotely acquire their targets at extended standoff distances using munitions that defeat targets using less explosives than conventional demolition operations. The SOFDK provides components and methods that greatly improve the soldiers' fighting ability by lightening the soldiers' load and reducing time-on-target.

The Kit is a collection of inert metal and plastic parts and commercially available items that give the SOF soldiers a wide selection of warheads and attachment devices which he can tailor to defeat a specific mission target. The various warheads include three sizes of conical shaped charges, four sizes of linear shaped charges, and a new capability with two sizes of explosively formed penetrators with more sizes to follow. The warheads are provided in a set configuration that contains all materials, less explosives, needed to pack the warheads with explosive, set them up and attach them on or near the target. It also gives the user a new capability in the form of an inert kit containing the components to tailor-make various explosive charges and securely employ or attach these charges to targets which is critical for mission success and user survivability.