What is the main function of the immediate smoke mission?

The immediate smoke mission's primary purpose is to obscure movement from enemy observation. This is crucial in combat scenarios where visibility can significantly impact troop safety and operational effectiveness. By deploying smoke, the forces can create a visual barrier that hampers the enemy's ability to see troop movements, thus allowing units to maneuver more safely and gain tactical advantages without being spotted or targeted effectively.

While marking targets, creating distractions, or signaling friendly forces are also important functions in various combat operations, they do not represent the main objective of immediate smoke missions. The emphasis here is on providing cover to troops, which aligns with the immediate tactical needs of units engaged in combat.