Army Uniforms of the Afghanistan War
and the Late Soviet Period
(1979 - 1991)
 


Soviet army uniforms of this period underwent more selective changes prior to the 1988 regulations.  The first was issued by order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 28 March 1980 and only changed the wearing of decorations and the trousers on a general's uniform. 

The first broad changes came about with the Ministry of Defense Decree #145 in 1984.  This order took effect in 1985 and introduced the new "six pocket" uniforms that had been developed in response to the Soviet experience in Afghanistan.  All were considerably more modern in design than their predecessors.

Following these changes, new lightweight coats were ordered for officers and enlisted personnel in 1986. 

Ministry of Defense Prikaz #250 of 1988 that the last major change to the uniforms of the Soviet era.  This decree broadly modernized Soviet uniforms for the first time since the late sixties.  In addition to updating the look of the military, it also introduced shirtsleeve order uniforms for soldiers who worked in administrative office environments.

 

 

The uniforms of this period can be seen on the table below.  The uniforms of marshals and generals are described in the upper section.  Officers and praporshchiks can be found listed in the middle of the table.  Conscripts, extended service men, and cadets are shown in the bottom part of the table.  Special purpose uniforms such as tank operator coveralls, chemical protection suits, and the like can be found in the final section.  At the bottom of the page is a list of source material that we have used to compile information about the uniforms.

Earlier Period Uniforms
(1960-1978)
Back to
Main Uniform Index
Later Period Uniforms
(1992-2002)

 

 


Army Uniforms of the Afghanistan War
and the Late Soviet Period
(1979 - 1991)

 

Pre-1980 1980 1985 1988
     
<(earlier uniforms)

Marshals and Generals

(later uniforms)>

 

<up>

 
  M-1980 Summer General Parade/Walking Out

----->

----->

M-1969 Summer General Each Day (out of column)
(1) (3) (4)
----->

----->

----->
     
<(earlier uniforms)

Officers, Extended Servicemen, and Praporshchiks

(later uniforms)>

 

<up>

 


M-1972 Summer Honor Guard Parade

-----> ----->

----->

M-1969 Summer Parade (in column)

-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Summer Parade (out of column) ----->

----->

----->

M-1969 Ladies Summer Parade Uniform

-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Summer Parade/Each Day -----> -----> ----->

M-1969 Summer Parade / Walking Out (in Summer coat)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Winter Parade (in column) -----> -----> ----->
     
M-1988 Summer Parade
(in shirt - white)
      M-1988 Summer Ladies Parade
(in shirt - white)
M-1969 Summer Each Day
(out of column - in boots)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Summer Each Day
(out of column)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Ladies Summer Each Day
(out of column)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Winter Each Day
(out of column)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Summer Each Day (in shirt) -----> -----> ----->
     
M-1988 Summer Each Day (out of column/in white shirt) (1) (3)
     
M-1988 Summer Officer
Each Day Uniform
(in short sleeve green shirt)
(1) (3)
      M-1988 Summer Ladies Each Day (out of column)
(in shirt - white)
      M-1988 Summer Ladies Each Day (out of column)
(in shirt - olive)

M-1969 Summer Field Uniform (garrison)
  (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
----->
M-1985 Summer Field Uniform
(in garrison)
----->

M-1973 Winter Field Uniform (garrison)
-----> M-1985 Winter Field Uniform (garrison) ---->

M-1969 Summer Field Uniform (combat)
-----> M-1985 Summer Field Uniform
(in combat)
----->

M-1969 Ladies Field Uniform
(in combat)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1955 Summer Ladies Field Dress -----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Winter Ladies Field Uniform ----->   M-1988 Winter Ladies Field Uniform
     
<(earlier uniforms)

Conscripts, Sergeants, and Cadets

(later uniforms)>

 

<up>

 

M-1971 Summer Honor Guard Parade
-----> -----> ----->

M-1973 Summer Parade Uniform
-----> -----> ----->

M-1969 Summer Parade / Walking Out

(Out of Column)
-----> -----> ----->
M-1973 Summer Kursant Parade / Walking Out -----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Summer Each Day Uniform -----> -----> ----->
M-1969 Winter Each Day Uniform -----> -----> ----->

1969 Komandant Service Regulator Winter Uniform
(1) (2)
-----> -----> ----->
     
M-1988 Summer Parade-Walking Out Uniform (in shirt) (1) (3)

M-1969 Summer Work Uniform
-----> -----> ----->

M-1972 Construction Troops Winter Work Uniform
-----> -----> ----->


M-1969 Summer Each Day/Field Uniform (garrison)

----->
M-1985 Summer Each Day/Field Uniform (garrison)
----->

M-1969 Summer Each Day/Field Uniform (combat)
-----> M-1985 Summer Each Day/Field Uniform (combat) ----->

M-1972 Summer Armor Crew Coveralls
 
M-1972 Summer Khaki
Armor Crew Coveralls
 

----->

 
-----> ----->
     
<(earlier uniforms)

Special Purpose Uniforms

(later uniforms)>

 

<up>

 

L-1 Lightweight Protective Su
it  (2)
-----> -----> ----->

OKZK Combined Arms Protective Suit (7)
-----> -----> ----->

OP-1 Combined Arms Protective Suit (2)
-----> -----> ----->

ZMK Arctic Camouflage Uniform (1938)  (2) (6)
-----> -----> ----->

KLMK Camouflage Uniform  (2) (6)
----->

----->

----->

Spetsodezhda KZS Camouflage Uniform (1975) (6)
-----> -----> ----->

 

Works Cited

(1) Prilutskaya, N. V. and N. L. Kortunova, ВОЕННАЯ ОДЕЖДА ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ СССР И РОССИИ (1917-1990), Moscow: Military Publishing, 1999.

(2) Zaloga, Steven J., Inside the Soviet Army Today, London: Osprey Publishing, 1987.

(3) Правила Ношения Военной Формы Одежды [Regulations on Wearing Military Uniforms], Moscow: USSR Ministry of Defense, 1989.

(4) Правила Ношения Военной Формы Одежды [Regulations on Wearing Military Uniforms], Moscow: USSR Ministry of Defense, 1973.

(5) Schofield, Carey, Inside the Soviet Military, New York, NY: Abbeville Press, 1991.

(6) Desmond, Dennis, Camouflage Uniforms of the Soviet Union and Russia 1937 to the present, Altgen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1998.

(7)
РУКОВОДСТВО по эксплуатации средств индивидуальной защиты (часть II), edited by A. P. Volkov.  Moscow: USSR Ministry of Defense, 1988.
 


Last Updated 9 January 2019 by Ryan Stavka