The Army should make sure it has smoke screens--okay, "obscurants" to encompass more than the old-style simple white smoke. Why that is not used in the Winter War of 2022 along mostly static trench lines is beyond me.
Yes! Modern smoke screens should be used on the battlefield!
A key component missing from Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. Army’s tool kit is a panoply of obscuration means that blunts an adversary’s observation capability. To affect large-scale combat operations (LSCO) in the current operational environment, the Army must reevaluate its position on battlefield obscurants to enable complex operations and reduce casualties. Conducting a breach on a heavily defended line requires adequate time to reduce obstacles and proof a cleared lane, whether mounted or dismounted. Obscuration is a critical component, providing the breaching force concealment to perform this complicated operation while maintaining combat power. Without an array of obscuration tools, the Army will suffer the same high casualty rates and potential mission failure that Ukraine and Russia suffered in their ongoing conflict.
Cheap drones require clear daylight skies for the Mark I eyeball to work. And while different sensors mounted on the drones can penetrate old-style smoke (or darkness), that means drones aren't as cheap--so not as numerous. Modern obscurants would require even more expensive sensors to penetrate.
While the Army will want the ability use obscurants while fighting on the move, couldn't Ukraine use simpler static smoke generators behind the front? I've long wondered about the lack of such things in the ongoing war, although I don't think I've ever written about it. My bad. Kudos to LTC Carvelli.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
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NOTE: I made the image with Bing.
