Antipersonnel Obstacle Breaching System
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The Anti-personnel Obstacle Breaching System is an explosive line charge system that allows safe breaching through complex antipersonnel obstacles. The Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System (APOBS) was developed for the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps and the U.S. Army (it was sponsored and fielded through the Program Manager for Ammunition branch of Marine Corps Systems Command). The APOBS is used to conduct deliberate or hasty breaches through enemy antipersonnel minefields and multi-strand wire obstacles. It is light enough to be carried by two soldiers with backpacks and can be deployed within 30 to 120 seconds.
Once set in place, the APOBS rocket is fired from a 35-meter standoff position, sending the line charge with fragmentation grenades over the minefield and/or wire obstacle. The grenades neutralize or clear the mines and sever the wire, effectively clearing a footpath for troops up to 45 meters in length.
The APOBS replaces the Bangalore Torpedo, which is 320 pounds heavier, takes significantly longer to set up, and cannot be deployed from a standoff position. It also reduces the number of soldiers required to carry and employ the system from 12 to 2. Armed with APOBS, soldiers (U.S. Marines or U.S. Army) will benefit from the following features of the lightweight 125-pound system:
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- Delay and command firing modes
- Deployable within 30 to 120 seconds
- Deployable from a 35-meter standoff
- Clears antipersonnel mines and complex wire obstacles
- Clears a footpath 0.6 to 1.0 meters by 45 meters
As a certified insensitive munition, APOBS is safe to employ and transport.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- Giant Viper - a vehicle launched mine clearance system
