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RDG-2B Smoke Grenade

The RDG-2B hand smoke grenade is a Soviet grenade designed to create small, short-duration aerosol screens for concealing firing positions and small units, as well as for simulating a fire in combat vehicles. It may also be used to mark helicopter landing sites and to indicate wind direction and speed for them.

The RDG-2 series of grenades was developed in the 1970s at the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Chemistry (NIIPrKh, Sergiyev Posad, Moscow Region) and was adopted by the Soviet Army and Warsaw Pact armies. In addition to the Soviet Union, the RDG-2 grenade was manufactured in Bulgaria, where a modernized RDG-3 variant with yellow smoke for marking equipment was produced.

RDG-2B Smoke Grenade
RDG-2B Smoke Grenade
RDG-2B Smoke Grenade

Technical and Tactical Characteristics of the RDG-2B Grenade

Type
Smoke
Weight
420-550 g
Diameter
53 mm
Length
209-221 mm
Smoke emission time
60-90 sec
Initiation method
Match / friction
Smoke color
White
Body wall thickness
2 mm
Quantity per crate
60 pcs

The RDG-2B is ignited by an integral match igniter. To employ the grenade, the side caps must be removed using the tapes, and the striker must be rubbed against the igniter head to ignite it. The igniter may also be lit with ordinary matches or a lighter. After this, the grenade can be thrown. It is strictly not recommended to hold the grenade in the hand or approach closer than 0.5 m while it is burning, as this may cause burns.

Match igniter of the RDG-2B grenade
Match igniter of the RDG-2B grenade
Match igniter of the RDG-2B grenade

Under average meteorological conditions, one RDG-2B grenade creates an opaque cloud of white smoke 20-25 meters long.

Composition of the chemical mixture:

  • potassium chlorate (45%), Berthollet's salt
  • ammonium chloride (43%) — this is what gives the smoke its white color
  • anthracene (12%)
Operation of the RDG-2B smoke grenade
Operation of the RDG-2B smoke grenade
Operation of the RDG-2B smoke grenade

RDG-2B grenades are stored in crates of 60 units. Crate weight is 34 kg.

RDG-2B smoke grenades
RDG-2B smoke grenades
RDG-2B smoke grenades

The grenade is produced in four variants — RDG-2B, RDG-2Ch, and RDG-2Kh.

RDG-2B, RDG-2Kh, RDG-2Ch, RDG-P smoke grenades
RDG-2B, RDG-2Kh, RDG-2Ch, RDG-P smoke grenades
RDG-2B, RDG-2Kh, RDG-2Ch, RDG-P smoke grenades
Review of the RDG-2 smoke grenade and its Ukrainian analogue RDG-55