Obstacle Breach Calculator
Estimate time and resources for obstacle clearing operations based on obstacle type, size, and available equipment.
About this calculator
This calculator estimates breach time and material requirements for clearing five obstacle types: wire, minefield, ditch/trench, concrete barrier, and abatis. Each type carries its own base clearance time per lane, from 30 minutes for wire up to 120 minutes for a minefield (line 11), and its own typical width and depth used to scale that base time against your actual obstacle dimensions (lines 14-20). Time per lane multiplies base time by a size multiplier (obstacle width and depth relative to the type's typical values, floored at 0.5, line 22), an equipment factor that ranges from 1.5 for hand tools only down to 0.6 for full engineer support (lines 25-26), and a personnel factor that falls as team size grows but never below 0.3, reflecting diminishing returns from adding more people to a breach (line 29).
Total breach time multiplies time per lane by the number of lanes required (line 33). Material outputs are obstacle-specific: Bangalore torpedoes are only counted for wire obstacles, at three per lane (line 36); mine probes only for minefields, at 20 per lane (line 37); and explosives in kilograms only for concrete barriers, scaled by lane count and obstacle width (line 38) -- every other obstacle type returns zero for whichever material does not apply to it.
Safety Notice
This calculator provides estimates only. Always follow manufacturer guidelines, industry standards, and applicable safety codes. Incorrect application of these calculations could result in injury or property damage. When in doubt, consult a qualified professional.
Inputs
Results
Total Breach Time
64 min
How to Use This Calculator
- Select obstacle type: Wire, Minefield, Ditch/Trench, Concrete Barrier, or Abatis.
- Enter obstacle width (m) and depth/height (m) to calculate breach material requirements.
- Set the number of lanes required for the breach based on unit size and traffic flow.
- Enter personnel count to size the breach team, and select equipment level: Hand Tools Only, Limited Equipment, or Full Engineer Support.
- Review breaching time estimate and material requirements to synchronize with fire support and maneuver.
How the result changes with Lanes Required
| Lanes Required | Total Breach Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 32 min |
| 1.5 | 48 min |
| 3 | 95 min |
| 5 | 159 min |
What each input means
- Obstacle Type
- Type of obstacle to be breached.
- Obstacle Width
- Width (depth into the obstacle belt) to breach through.
- Obstacle Depth/Height
- Height or depth of the obstacle.
- Lanes Required
- Number of breach lanes to create.
- Personnel Available
- Number of engineers/infantry available for the breach.
- Equipment Level
- Level of breaching equipment available.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersObstacle Type = 0, Obstacle Width = 15, Obstacle Depth/Height = 1.5, Lanes Required = 2 = 6 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total Breach TimeTotal Breach Time64 = 64
- Calculate Time per LaneTime per Lane32 = 32
- Calculate Bangalore TorpedoesBangalore Torpedoes6 = 6
Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does obstacle type change the time estimate so much more than obstacle width does?
Obstacle type sets the base clearance time per lane from a five-value table spanning 30 to 120 minutes (line 11), and switching between types can multiply total time several-fold. Obstacle width only scales that base time through the size multiplier, which is normalized against the obstacle type's own typical width and floored at 0.5 (lines 14-16, 22) -- a moderate width change moves the multiplier by a much smaller fraction than switching obstacle type entirely.
Does adding more personnel always speed up the breach?
Only up to a point. Personnel factor falls as personnel count increases but is floored at 0.3, so time per lane can never drop below 30 percent of what it would be with minimal personnel, no matter how many more people are added (line 29). The relationship also uses a square root, so early personnel additions help more than later ones -- doubling an already-large team yields a smaller time reduction than doubling a small one.
Why do I get zero Bangalore torpedoes when breaching a minefield?
Bangalore charges are counted only when obstacle type equals wire obstacle; every other obstacle type returns zero for that output regardless of how many lanes you request (line 36). A minefield instead populates mine probes, at 20 per lane (line 37), and a concrete barrier populates explosives in kilograms (line 38) -- the three material outputs are mutually exclusive by obstacle type, not additive.
How does equipment level change breach time?
Equipment level applies a multiplier of 1.5 for hand tools only, 1.0 for limited equipment, and 0.6 for full engineer support (lines 25-26), directly scaling time per lane and therefore total breach time. Moving from hand tools to full engineer support cuts the equipment-driven portion of the estimate by 60 percent, independent of obstacle type, size, or personnel count.
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