C4

C4 is a moldable RDX-based plastic explosive used for demolition, obstacle reduction, and explosive breaching. In the Battle of Marawi, Philippine government forces used C4 as an urban breaching aid, making mouseholes through reinforced buildings during the slow building-by-building fight against IS-aligned militants.

Battle of MarawiPhilippine government forces

Conflict side: Philippine government forces
Built by: Holston Army Ammunition PlantExpro Chemical Products
Built in: United StatesCanada

C4, Plastic demolition explosive, Munitions

Image source: M112 Demolition Charge.jpg

Profile

Type: Plastic demolition explosive
Conflict side: Philippine government forces
Origin: United States
Service note: Cold War-era explosive still used in modern military demolition and breaching roles

portableexplosivedemolitionbreaching

Service History

In service: Used by military demolition, engineer, and explosive ordnance disposal units
Used by: Philippine government forces, United States Department of Defense
Wars: Battle of Marawi

Production History

Designer: U.S. military explosive development program
Designed: 1950s
Built by: Holston Army Ammunition PlantExpro Chemical Products
Built in: United StatesCanada
Unit cost: Not publicly standardized; varies by producer, packaging, and procurement contract
Produced: 1950s-present
Number built: Produced in bulk quantities for military demolition charges
Variants: M112 demolition block, Bulk Composition C4

Specifications

Composition: About 91 percent RDX and 9 percent non-explosive plasticizer in the GAO-described U.S. formulation
Form: Semiplastic, putty-like material that can be molded across a wide temperature range
Detonation velocity: About 26,400 feet per second
Relative effectiveness: About 1.34 times as effective as the same weight of TNT, according to a U.S. Army field manual cited by GAO
Common charge: M112 demolition block uses 1.25 lb of C4

Conflict Usage

Battle of Marawi: Side: Philippine government forcesRole: Urban breaching and mouseholingfire support
Philippine government forces used C4 plastic explosive during the Battle of Marawi to create mouseholes through buildings as they adapted to dense urban clearing.

C4 Images

C4, Plastic demolition explosive, Munitions - view 1 — Source: M112 Demolition Charge.jpg

C4, Plastic demolition explosive, Munitions - view 2 — Source: C4 plastic explosive.jpg

C4, Plastic demolition explosive, Munitions - view 3 — Source: C4 explosive.jpg

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Sources

Urban Warfare Case Study #8: Battle of MarawiPublisher: Modern War Institute at West Point | Note: Supports Battle of Marawi direct-use context: C4 was used by Philippine government forces to make mouseholes during urban clearing. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Defense Inventory: Production, Distribution, and Storage of C-4 ExplosivePublisher: U.S. Government Accountability Office | Note: Supports C4 background, composition, physical form, detonation velocity, relative effectiveness, common demolition-charge weights, and named producers. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 One Step No Waste Composition C-4 ProductionPublisher: SERDP & ESTCP | Note: Supports Department of Defense background for Composition C4, hand-moldable M112 demolition blocks, production context, and C4/M112 performance qualification references. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 M112 Demolition Charge.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for an M112 demolition charge; file page identifies a U.S. Air Force source and public-domain U.S. government-work status. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 C4 plastic explosive.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for U.S. Navy and Republic of Singapore divers packing C4 charges; file page identifies U.S. Navy authorship and public-domain U.S. government-work status. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 C4 explosive.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a C4 explosive photograph; file page lists Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 and GNU Free Documentation License reuse terms. | Accessed: 2026-06-21