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Uncover your potential', indeed! Once you stop ogling the girl, though, you might notice that this Australian Special Air Service (SAS) recruiting poster shows Australian Disruptive Pattern Camouflage to very good effect. [Image courtesy Brad Turner collection.]

MVD 3-colour camouflage, tropical variant
Russian Federation

Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, trans. Vnutrenniye voyska Ministerstva vnutrennikh Del, VV MVD) is a paramilitary force within the Russian Ministry for Internal Affairs. They are used to support and reinforce the police.

1991 saw the development of a series of lightweight, two-piece camouflage uniforms, which were essentially a refinement of the earlier camouflaged summer disruptive set (Russian: камуфлированный летний маскировочный комплект, trans. kamuflirovannyy letniy maskirovochnyy komplekt, KLMK) [also see 'sun bunnies']. These new two-piece KLMK uniforms were produced in four different variations, which reflected the terrains in which VV MVD units might be deployed.

The variation shown here is the so-called 'tropical' camouflage pattern. which comprises dark tan and forest green elements on a peach-coloured background.

Although there can be little doubt that these uniforms were intended exclusively for use by the MVD — all known examples are stamped with the Cyrillic letters МВД (MVD) — there is still some question regarding the units for which they were intended. Dennis Desmond, in his book Camouflage uniforms of the Soviet Uniform and Russia, 1937 to the present, states that they 'are used by the MVD's Brigades of Special Designation (BONVV)'. Since this acronym is explicated nowhere in the book, I can only assume that it is intended to represent the Brigade of Special Purpose of the Directorate for Internal Troops of the MVD (Russian: бригаду особого назначения Управления внутренних войск МВД, trans. Brigada osobogo naznacheniya Upravleniya vnutrennikh voysk MVD).

kamouflage.net is grateful to Steve Hoeger, for his invaluable contribution to this article.

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