TDA-3 “Thermo-Smoke” Vehicle

In Russia, it is the NBC troops’ duty to provide camouflage on the battlefield. One of the platforms they use is the TDA-3.

Capabilities of the TDA-3

The TDA-3 releases an aerosol in the air, creating a synthetic fog and obscuring the battlefield and all units within. The manufacturer claims it can generate enough fog to cover an area with a 1km radius and sustain it for over 12 hours. It very obviously depends on weather conditions and wind strength and direction.

Multispectral Smoke

Some sources claim the smoke produced by the TDA-3 is multispectral (similar to the one released by tanks’ smoke canisters) and is therefore able to blind any electro-optical cameras and defeat infrared optics.

Historical Deployments

The Russians deployed smoke screens around their Naval Base of Tartus in 2018 to hide the delivery of an S-300 battery to Syria.

The TDA-3 and Other Platforms

The TDA-3 is only one of many smoke generating platforms operated by the Russian army, navy, and air force.

-RBM