M90 (camouflage)

The M90 camouflage pattern

M90 camouflage is the camouflage pattern used by the Swedish armed forces. In addition to the standard pattern, desert and jungle variants have been developed for the international peace-keeping missions in Afghanistan and Liberia. The pattern employs basically a downscaled pattern of what has been used on vehicles since the late 1970s, consisting of hard lined geometric shapes in order to create a camouflage pattern effective in the temperate forests and plains of Sweden. M90 camouflage comprises four colours: dark green, medium green, dark navy blue and grey. Navy blue was chosen instead of black because natural shadows generally tend to be in shades of blue to the human eye.

Models

Swedish Marine at Berga navy base.

M90 combat clothing entered service during the late 1980s, with widespread use beginning the early 1990s. It replaced the earlier olive green M59 field uniform. The uniform is available in several different models.^[1]

• M90F: the F stands for Fält, Field, and this is the standard uniform for general issue throughout the Swedish armed forces.
• M90P: the P stands for Pansar, Armour, and this model is issued to armoured vehicle crews. It features padding on elbows and knees, suspenders, a shorter jacket, ankle pockets and penholders on the sleeves. It is also made from a heavier material providing better fire protection.
• M90H: the H stands for Helikopter, Helicopter. This is the model issued to helicopter crews. The jacket is bright orange on the inside.

The changing missions for the Swedish armed forces, with a heavier emphasis on missions abroad, has led to two new models.

• M90L: for forces working in hotter climates. The L stands for Lätt, Light. This uniform is made from thinner fabrics.
• M90TR (Tropik) For forces working in rain forest environments. Similar in appearance to the M90L but the fabric is even thinner and with more subdued colours.^[2]
• M90TR BE (Tropik Beige) (Khaki) For forces working in desert environments. Similar to the M90TR but with the splinter pattern in desert colours. The M90TR BE system also includes a smock because nights in desert environments can be very cold.^[3]

See also

• Swedish Military Uniform

References