Smoke employment - UNITAF Force Manual (FM)
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Smoke employment



FM/G235 - Smoke employment
Guide
FM/BG-1092 - Purpose of smoke
Guide

Smoke provides on-demand concealment and can be used to:

  • Mask friendly movement or positions
  • Obscure enemy observation or fire
  • Deceive enemy forces
  • Signal to friendly units or aircraft

Correct integration of smoke enhances survivability and effectiveness.

Guide
FM/BG-1093 - Types of smoke delivery
Guide

Four primary smoke delivery methods are available:

  • Hand Smoke Grenades: Short-range, quick concealment for infantry
  • Grenade Launcher Smoke: Mid-range concealment or marking via UGL
  • Vehicle Smoke Dischargers: Instant, directional smoke for vehicles
  • Artillery Smoke Rounds: Long-lasting, wide-area concealment via WP

Coloured smoke is also used for signalling (e.g., marking friendlies or enemy positions for CAS).

Guide
FM/BG-1094 - Smoke roles
Guide

Screening Movement

  • Used to obscure enemy vision and reduce effective fire during movement.
  • Often used to extract wounded or reposition under contact
  • Enemy may fire blindly into smoke, but with reduced accuracy
  • Must be well-timed and well-placed to be effective 

Masking Enemy Fire

  • Smoke placed directly on enemy positions can suppress their fire.
  • Effective against bunkers, machine guns, or snipers
  • Useful during assaults to degrade high-threat defenders

 Deception

  • Used to mislead the enemy and draw fire away from the actual manoeuvre.
  • Can trigger enemy responses or reveal their positions
  • Creates uncertainty and divides attention during key moments

Signalling

  • Used when visual cues are needed between units or for air-ground coordination.
  • Can mark friendly or enemy positions
  • Can identify landing zones
  • Can convey pre-arranged signals in radio-silent environments
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