By Tyler Barth
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - The MUCHETE started off as a side project, said its creator Greg Stunzenas, but it has turned into one of the military’s finest blasts mitigators, and a pride of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center.
Short for Multi-Use Charge Housings for Enhanced Target Effect, the MUCHETE is a special housing built to decrease blast overpressure, the unseen rippling force after an explosion which can easily cause traumatic injuries if unmitigated. The MUCHETE is optimal for breaching operations, such as pushing and cutting multiple door types, as well as defeating other targets specific to various communities.
According to Stunzenas, a mechanical engineer with a specialization in warhead design and blast analysis, the project started around 2014. A Soldier reached out to report that he’d placed detonating cord inside a cable hider when blasting down a door, which seemed to net less overpressure. Curious as to why, Stunzenas and his contact began to test and research the matter.
The MUCHETE evolved from there, conceived as a charge housing that could both deliver strong target effects as before while reducing what is believed to be the largest cause of injury – blast overpressure imparted on the warfighter. When combined with legacy explosives for breaching operations, the MUCHETE optimizes blast wave shape for a better effect on target with a lower Net Explosive Weight (NEW). This imparts between 25 and 60 percent less overpressure on the user.
The design is flexible, dual-purposed, can be used with both sheet explosive and detonation cord, and is non-toxic upon combustion. It is made of an inert material and is easy to use for a Soldier already trained in breaching.
The development process integrated expertise in warheads, explosives, breaching, and blast wave shaping. Engineers used 3D computer modeling to compare and contrast materials and designs, and they used 3D printing for manufacturing in the initial phases, for a more expedited design and test methodology. During testing, the MUCHETE was able to deliver the same strength of blast – still with less overpressure – as the control, despite using less NEW; Stunzenas said he was very proud of this feat.
According to Stunzenas, most of the users have praised MUCHETE, not only for the above reasons but because charges are easier to prepare with it, and it ultimately allows for less charge build time, and, therefore, more time training. Any concerns he said he has heard have been minor and can easily be overcome by future design iterations, if required.
“Everything has been positive feedback. I just think we as engineers need to get out there and explain more about what this is, how it works, and why it does what it does,” he said.
Stunzenas said he was most proud of the fact that the user community allowed him into their operational training and were willing to provide input, feedback, and constraints during the design process, while engineers were implementing warhead design techniques for wave shaping, blast mitigation, and increased target effects.
Efforts are underway to make MUCHETE available to an expansive customer base. The Army has recognized MUCHETE’s success, Stunzenas said, and has many future projects planned to involve charges which can be approached in a similar manner, thus making them all safer for the warfighter.
| Date Taken: |
07.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
07.10.2026 14:48 |
| Story ID: |
569720 |
| Location: |
PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY, US |
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