M-1969 Officer
Lightweight Tropical Uniform

 

 
Navy Senior Lieutenant (1978)
 

The Officer is Wearing:

The Officer in the picture is wearing the 1969 lightweight tropical uniform.  The piloitka is dark blue with white piping.  A black band and naval cockade are fixed to the front of the cap.

His shirt is a matching dark blue has standard navy black shoulder boards.  The lightweight blue and white telnyashka is visible under the shirt.  Dark blue shorts complete the uniform.

Black sandals with holes (not pictured) are worn with this uniform.

Sources Cited


Return to Navy Uniforms
of the Soviet Superpower

 

 

More about the uniform...

The 1969 uniform regulations refined the earlier 1965 tropical uniform and brought it into line with the other naval uniforms of the day.

Its most notable change was in the adoption of the dark blue piloitka which featured a detachable visor.  The piloika featured white piping and kept the visor attached by means of several buttons.  An officer's naval cockade and black band is worn with the cap.

The shirt is virtually the same as its 1965 counterpart. (1)  It has an open collar and a single open pocket on the left breast.  Black officer shoulder boards are worn with this uniform. (1)  It can be worn both with and without the blue and white telnyashka undershirt, but is most commonly seen without it. (5)

 


A pair of dark blue shorts is also worn with the uniform.  These feature two hip pockets and are fastened by a button fly.  Black synthetic leather sandals (not yet photographed) complete the uniform.  Period photographs indicate that they can be worn both with or without socks.

 

 

Service Chronology

As the Soviet navy began to expand its reach in the 1960's it was determined that a new uniform would be needed for operations in warm weather conditions.  Prior to this, the only accommodation the navy had made for hot weather was found in Article 64 of the 1958 regulations which allowed for sailors on ships to wear sandals and those ashore to wear sport shoes outdoors. (2)  This changed in 1965 with the introduction of the first naval tropical uniforms.  The 1965 lightweight officer's uniform was similar to the 1969 version seen here except that it featured a white beret in place of the piloitka and different style sandals.

In 1969 the lightweight summer uniform was authorized by Article 110 of Decree No. 4024-VII.  It established "Summer lightweight clothing for wearng in areas with hot climate in the USSR and sailing in areas south of 40` N latitude (except for the Sea of Japan): dark blue short sleeved jacket and dark blue short pants and sandals" and a "dark blue cap with removable visor."  The 1974 uniform regulation revision did not affect the uniform and reauthorized it.  The 1988 regulations also maintained the uniform as it was (though it moved the requirement to Article 109). (3)(4)

The ultimate fate of the uniform is uncertain at present as Russian Federation regulations are difficult to obtain, and none we have observed so far have mentioned the uniform.  It is likely that the lightweight tropical uniform persisted at least as far as 1994 when the Russian Federation released its first uniform regulations.  Past this date its fate is currently uncertain.
 

This Uniform Replaced... (1) M-1969 Officer Lightweight
Tropical Uniform
(3)(4)
This Uniform was Replaced by...
M-1965 Officer's Lightweight
Tropical Uniform
Uncertain at Present

 

Sources Cited

(1) Prilutskaya, N. V. and N. L. Kortunova, Военная одежда вооруженных сил ссср и россии (1917-1990) [Military clothing of the USSR and Russia (1917-1990's)], Moscow: Military Publishing, 1999.

(2) Правила ношения военной формы в мирное время [Regulations on wearing military uniforms in peacetime], Moscow: USSR Ministry of Defense, 1958.

(3) Правила ношения военной формы одежды [Regulations for the wearing of military uniforms], Moscow: USSR Ministry of Defense, 1973.

(4) Правила ношения военной формы одежды [Regulations for the wearing of military uniforms], Moscow: USSR Ministry of Defense, 1989.

(5) Океанский щит страны советов [Ocean Shield of the Soviet Nation], edited by P.N. Medvedev, Moscow: Planeta, 1987.
 


Last Updated 11 January 2019 by Ryan Stavka