State Department Forced Entry Testing

US State Department 15 Minute Forced Entry Tools

In order to be forced entry and ballistic resistant (FE/BR) certified, doors have to pass a grueling series of tests performed to the US State Department Forced Entry standard, SD-STD-01.01 Rev. G. This is the testing performed on doors installed in US embassies around the world, as well as other important government offices and facilities. There are three forced entry levels: five minute, fifteen minute, and sixty minute.

The Shield Embassy Series door is rated to the five (5) minute level and consists of 0.5 man-hours of attack time while the Shield Fortress Series is rated to the fifteen minute (15) level and consists of 4.5 man-hours of attack time. The State Department standard also holds an equivalency to the ASTM F3038 - 14 standard, so Shield doors also meet ASTM F30308. 

Forced entry tests involve a team of attackers trying to breach the door by exploiting weak points in the allotted amount of time. A five minute test consists of a five minute attack on the lock side of the door, five minutes in the center of the door, and five minutes on the hinge side of the door. Naturally, the fifteen minute test consists of fifteen minutes spent on each attack point.

15 Minute Forced Entry Test

The five minute test calls for a two-man team while the fifteen minute test calls for a six-man team. A variety of tools are used in the testing, including sledge hammers, axes, pry bars, picks, wedges, and a battering ram.

Since the testing team spends five or fifteen minutes on each location, an actual intruder would need significantly more time to penetrate the door.

The attack locations are all considered dissimilar areas: hinges, seams, and the like. The goal is to open, remove, or penetrate the door to a large enough degree that they can pass a standard-sized testing object through the opening.

For the ballistic test, the doors must withstand dozens of rounds placed in specific shot patterns on the door and frame using 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO rounds. Each shot is lined up separately and fired using a test barrel in order to keep to the requirements laid out in the standard.

Passing these tests is the ultimate seal of approval and ensures that customers know they are getting a quality product that will keep them and their families safe no matter who comes knocking at their door.