Soviet Tropical Flight Suit |
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The Pilot is Wearing:
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More about the uniform... As the Soviet Union began projecting its power into the tropical regions of the world in the 1960's it soon became clear that a lighter weight flight suit would be needed. The light weight tropical flight suit is composed of a pair of trousers and a jacket that are both made of a thinner cotton material than the conventional dark blue flight suit. The upper left pocket contains a holder and lanyard for the PM Makarov pistol (seen at right), while the upper right pocket has a pouch for a single spare magazine. The pockets of the jacket feature zippers, as does the jacket itself. Only the small pocket found on the upper right arm features a button closure. The trousers have two thigh pockets, while the fly is fastened by a single row of buttons. The boots are the typical Soviet pilot variety that use laces, but have a zipper along the side. The lightweight tropical flight suit is made in two colors: light blue and a khaki color. |
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Service Chronology
Due to the lack of sources regarding the Soviet tropical flight suit it is difficult to date its entry into service or its retirement. Examples of it can be seen in photographs from the late 1970's and in books of the early 1990's. In these pictures the uniform is most commonly worn by fighter and ground attack pilots. We hope to eventually determine the uniform's place in the chronology of the Soviet air force.
This Uniform Replaced... | Tropical Flight Suit | This Uniform was Replaced by... |
Nothing. It a lightweight version of the standard M-55 flight suit for use in warm climates. | Uncertain at Present (It was documented well into the 1990's, but may have been replaced by the new Russian khaki flight suit seen in use during the 2015 Syrian intervention). |