[Homer]

There’s something similar-

The M300 is the equivalent explosive entrenchment kit in the US system. The refill/expansion kit is the M301. They’ll prep a two man hole per kit. After the blast the soil will be loosened and easy to remove (that’s what it says on the slide!). They don’t get used much because they’re demo, and range control tends to frown on demo being used off the demo range or live fire areas, plus sweat is cheaper! Apparently what generally happens is a SEE or DEUCE finishes digging in the MKT sump and the TOC fighting positions then shows up just as the line units are laying 4x4 over their hand dug armpit deep holes (with grenade sumps)…

You can also use the small shaped charge to get a borehole you can pack a pushing charge into, especially in frozen ground or lay a tamped block down to crack the frozen layer and help the digging. Keep in mind these methods aren’t heavily trained outside of units in cold climates or places with more tolerant safety regulations (unit level demo range, somebody else’s country, etc.) or maybe the Engineer School. But, using demo to help dig in dates back at least to the fighting in the ETO during 1944-45.

I’d offer if you have characters with Combat Engineer or Demolitions skill preparing a field expedient shaped charge is an AVG task (you’ve got to get materials, priming, and spacing right), with explosive excavation using either boreholes or an auger drilled holes (M300) being another AVG task. Outstanding success probably gets you a time saving on finishing the position, failure is either an ineffective charge or extra time on the position, catastrophic failure is a charge mishap (dud, short fuse, etc.) or an unusable position/bore.

Just some thoughts.