Army Tests New Battlefield Smokescreen

A new battlefield smoke-producing system is now in testing to provide concealment for Army units during combat. According to a news release, 4th Infantry Division soldiers recently finished the final phases of testing the Screen Observation Module (SOM) at Fort Carson, Colorado. The device can be mounted to any vehicle or carried and is capable of obscuring the movement of a whole platoon with a billow of smoke. The SOM would join the Army’s current devices, the M8 smoke pot or the M56 Coyote smoke generator. Officials said the new device produces more smoke than the M8 and is more portable and maneuverable. Read more at Army.mil.