Soviet Army field equipment 1968-1991- Part 4 (Afghan War)

Soviet Army field equipment 1968-1991 in the Afghan War (Part 4).

Focus topic: Soviet Army field uniforms and equipment during the Afghan War period and late Cold War modernization (Part 4).

Articles this series:

Field Uniform and Equipment of the Soviet Army (1968–1991) – Part 1

Field Uniform and Equipment of the Soviet Army (1968–1991) – Part 2

Field Uniform and Equipment of the Soviet Army (1968–1991) – Part 3

Soviet Spetsnaz Uniform in Afghanistan (1979–1989)

In 1979, the Afghan war began. It became a test not only for Soviet vehicles, weapons, and tactics, but also for equipment.

Soviet Army field equipment 1968-1991

Quick navigation

Why Afghan War changed Soviet gear
Soviet Afghanka visor cap
Soviet winter Afghanka uniform
Shades of Afghanka and “Dubok”
Afghanka and Naval Infantry “Dubok”
Airborne “Dubok” and how it was worn
Suspenders attachment system
Border troops “Berezka” camouflage
“Gorka” mountain suit
Soviet Afghan combat boots
Sneakers and canvas shoes in Afghanistan
Soviet 6B5 body armor
RD-54, Abalakov backpack, improvisation
Homemade load-bearing vests
BVD and “lifchik” chest rigs
Belt-A and Belt-B

It quickly became clear that Soviet gear was not very suitable for this war. Work began on improving it. But before we look at what came out of that, I want to share a few thoughts. The Soviet Army was preparing for a large-scale war with NATO in Europe, something along the lines of World War II. Everything was built around this task, weapons, vehicles, tactics, and of course equipment. The idea looked roughly like this: soldiers are delivered to the front line by BMPs, BTRs, or at least trucks, and after an airstrike or artillery preparation they rush the enemy positions. Or they sit in trenches, repelling attacking NATO troops. For these conditions, Soviet equipment was, in principle, sufficient. All property was transported by vehicles, and four magazines in pouches were supposed to be enough for a battle.

The Afghan war turned out to be completely different. Here soldiers had to walk a lot on terrain impassable for vehicles, and carry all their gear, food, water, warm clothes, sleeping bags, devices, as well as ammunition, on their own backs. The Americans found themselves in a similar situation in Vietnam, and to their credit, they adapted their equipment quickly. Extremely successful jungle boots appeared, tropical uniforms, nylon gear that did not rot in humid heat, large backpacks, and much more.

Soviet Army field uniform Afghanistan

Soviet soldiers wearing Afghan War field uniforms during training in the 1980s — Soviet soldiers in Afghan War field uniforms during a training exercise, 1980s.

Soviet Army soldiers in Afghan War uniforms standing in formation — Soviet soldiers in Afghan War field uniforms during unit formation.

One of the most recognizable items of that war was the new uniform. It was supplied primarily to units stationed in Afghanistan, which is why in the USSR it was nicknamed “Afghanka,” and in Afghanistan itself it was called “Experimental.” Compared to the 1969 pattern uniform, this was not just a step forward, but a giant leap. Flat plastic buttons, covered by a flap so they would not tear off while crawling. Plenty of pockets, including convenient ones on the sleeves. A drawstring at the waist, which suggests that the uniform was designed to be worn without a belt. The belt was worn until 2010, when the army switched to the new “digital” uniform. Finally, a modern design that made soldiers no longer look like visitors from the 1940s.

Soviet Afghanka Visor Cap

Soviet Afghanka field cap with ear flaps used during the Afghan War

Soviet Afghanka visor cap became part of a new field uniform that was designed for mountain warfare, not for a large-scale European war. Afghanka was made from dense cotton fabric, protecting the head from sun and dust, while the fold-down ear flaps helped in cold weather, wind, and during night operations.

Looking Soviet Afghanka visor cap? You can order here: (Soviet Afghanka hat)

Soviet Winter Afghanka uniform. Jacket and pants

Soviet Afghan War winter uniform jacket and trousers laid flat — Winter version of the Soviet Afghan War uniform (Afghanka).

The winter version of the Afghanka consisted of a warm jacket and trousers with quilted insulation. The jacket had a collar made of artificial fur. Heavy, but very warm.

Despite the fact that in terms of comfort and design it did not quite match the ultra-modern American BDU of that time, overall the uniform turned out to be quite successful. Among the drawbacks, I would note rather narrow trouser legs and sleeves.

The only detail of the Afghanka that really annoys me is the stitched creases on the front of the trousers.

This cut, with minor changes, was used in our army until 2010, when soldiers were dressed in new pixel camouflage.

It began appearing in the troops around 1983–1984. It was made from cotton fabric in at least three different shades, greenish, light sandy (almost yellow), and universal khaki, suitable both for Afghan mountains and for the temperate zone.

Shades of Afghanka and “Dubok”

Different color shades of Soviet Afghan War field uniforms Afghanka and Dubok — Color variations of Soviet Afghan War field uniforms Afghanka and Dubok

In the second half of the 1980s, camouflage uniforms began appearing in the Airborne Forces and the Naval Infantry. The camouflage pattern is now commonly called “Dubok” or “Butan” on the Internet, after the R&D project codenamed “Butan,” during which this pattern was developed. Later versions (late 1980s–early 1990s) came in different shades, as seen in the photo. Early “Dubok” uniforms were of very high quality, they did not fade during wear or washing. According to rumors, either the fabric or the dyes were of Czech origin, which is why another slang name for this uniform was “Czechka.”

Afghanka and Naval Infantry “Dubok”

Soviet Afghanka uniform compared with Dubok camouflage jacket — Comparison of Afghanka field uniform and Dubok camouflage jacket.

The Naval Infantry uniform did not differ in cut from the Afghanka. The Airborne Forces version, however, had some differences.

The Airborne version required wearing the jacket tucked into the trousers.

Soviet Airborne Forces wearing Dubok camouflage uniforms — Illustration of Soviet field uniforms in Butan (Dubok) camouflage.

Picture 93. Summer field uniform of sergeants, soldiers and cadets (except Airborne Forces).

Picture 94. Winter field uniform of sergeants, soldiers and cadets (except Airborne Forces).

Picture 95. Summer field uniform of sergeants, soldiers and cadets of the Airborne Forces.

Picture 96. Winter field uniform of sergeants, soldiers and cadets of the Airborne Forces.

Soviet Naval Infantry soldiers wearing Dubok camouflage uniforms — Soviet Naval Infantry in Dubok camouflage uniforms.

Looking for Soviet Telnyashka? You can get them here → [Soviet Telnyashka]

Why this was done is a mystery to me. I have heard a version that a jacket worn untucked supposedly interferes with parachute jumps. But the rest of the world jumps wearing jackets untucked, and nobody seems bothered by it. Even if we assume that Soviet parachutes had some special design, what prevented soldiers from tucking the jacket only before a jump and wearing it untucked the rest of the time? Perhaps it was just airborne “show-off,” a desire to be different from regular troops. But be that as it may, in the Airborne Forces the tradition still exists: “paratroopers don’t wear skirts” (meaning jackets worn untucked).

So, the jacket in airborne units was tucked into the trousers. Because of this, the Airborne version had no waist drawstring and no lower pockets. But it created a new problem, how to wear equipment, meaning a belt with pouches. Should the belt be worn over the trousers?

Soviet Butan camouflage jacket with suspender slots on the front, late 1980s — Soviet Butan camouflage jacket showing front suspender attachment slots

Soviet Butan camouflage uniform set with jacket and suspenders — Butan camouflage uniform set with internal suspenders

Soviet Butan camouflage field jacket laid flat, Cold War period — Soviet Army Butan camouflage field jacket

Suspender attachment holes on Soviet Butan camouflage jacket front — Suspender attachment points on Butan camouflage jacket (front)

Rear suspender slot on Soviet Butan camouflage jacket — Rear suspender attachment slot on Butan camouflage jacket

Highlighted suspender attachment hole on back of Soviet Butan jacket — Suspender attachment point on the back of the jacket

Suspenders attachment system

Schematic diagram of the airborne “Dubok.” Yes, I know, my drawing skills are… questionable.

Pouches, canteens, and so on were meant to be hung on a standard belt threaded through the trousers. Under such weight, the trousers would slide down. To support them, suspenders were added to the trousers. In the jacket, at waist level, there were special slits, one at the back and two at the front. The suspenders were passed through the rear slit, run under the jacket, pulled out through the front slits, and attached to the trousers at the front. Thus, the suspenders running under the jacket were supposed to keep the trousers from sliding down. At least in theory.

Border troops also received camouflage Afghankas, but in their traditional border guard camouflage.

Border troops “Berezka” camouflage

Soviet border guard wearing Berezka camouflage uniform — Soviet border guard wearing the iconic Berezka camouflage uniform, used by border troops during the Cold War period.

A story about uniforms would be incomplete without mentioning such a legendary item as the “Gorka,” or mountain suit. Like the “Mabuta,” it deserves a separate article, so I will limit myself to general information. The Gorka consists of a jacket and trousers sewn from tent fabric similar to thin canvas, and according to one version, it originated from similar clothing worn by German mountain troops during World War II. In summer it is, of course, quite hot, but in autumn and winter it protects well from wind and moisture.

Before the appearance of modern high-tech materials like membranes and softshells, the Gorka was one of the most successful uniform designs not only in the USSR, but probably in the whole world. It was worn mainly by special forces; ordinary motor rifle troops were not issued it.

“Gorka” jacket

Soviet gorka mountain jacket made of canvas fabric — Original Soviet gorka jacket made from dense tent canvas, offering wind and moisture protection.

“Gorka” trousers

Soviet gorka pants with suspenders used by special forces — Gorka mountain pants with suspenders, designed to be worn during long operations in difficult terrain.

Soviet-pattern “Gorka” Dagestan, 1999

Soviet special forces wearing gorka suits in Afghanistan near military helicopter — Soviet troops in gorka mountain suits preparing for deployment during the Afghan war.

Soviet soldiers resting in gorka uniforms after helicopter landing in Afghanistan — Soviet servicemen resting after helicopter insertion, wearing gorka mountain uniforms.

The Afghan war also influenced soldiers’ footwear. Jumping around mountains and deserts in boots turned out to be inconvenient. High lace-up Afghan combat boots (bertsy) began to appear widely in the troops for the first time.

Soviet Afghan combat boots

Soviet Afghan combat boots? You can get them here → [Soviet M88 combat Boots]

Soviet Afghan combat boots rubber sole with tractor pattern, bottom view — Nailed sole of Soviet Afghan combat boots with classic tractor-pattern reinforcement.

Sneakers and canvas shoes in Afghanistan

Soldiers of the Soviet Army in the Afghan war also wore sneakers and canvas shoes.

Soviet soldiers wearing canvas sneakers during the Afghan War, 1980s — Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan wearing canvas sneakers instead of standard military boots

Soldiers in sneakers.

Soviet Army soldiers using canvas sneakers in Afghanistan during combat operations — Canvas sneakers used by Soviet soldiers in the Afghan War due to climate and terrain

Soviet troops in Afghanistan wearing canvas shoes in field conditions — Improvised footwear of Soviet soldiers during the Afghan War

Body armor also began to be introduced in Afghanistan. There were several models, which I won’t attempt to describe. I will only say that they were introduced on a large scale, not only in Afghanistan, but throughout the Soviet Army.

The Soviet Army field uniform in Afghanistan was designed for mountain warfare, dust, heat, and long patrols rather than classical European combat.

Soviet 6B5 body armor

In the Soviet Army, aside from the duffel bag and the RD-54, there were no backpacks. None at all. Maybe infantry didn’t really need them, but reconnaissance units and special forces had to improvise. They stitched two RD-54s together, used civilian hiking backpacks, or captured ones.

Modified RD-54

Soviet RD-54 load bearing equipment used in the Afghanistan war — RD-54 load-bearing equipment used by Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan

Civilian hiking backpack, also known as the “Abalakov” or “Kolobok”

Soviet Abalakov backpack used by soldiers and special forces — Abalakov backpack, widely used by Soviet soldiers and special units

But the biggest problems for our soldiers were with load-bearing systems, meaning equipment intended for carrying ammunition.

Homemade load-bearing vest. 1983.

Soviet soldier wearing body armor during the Afghanistan war, 1983 — Soviet soldier in body armor during combat operations in Afghanistan

Homemade load-bearing vest. 1983. Hand-stitched seams are clearly visible.

Soviet soldier wearing early or improvised body armor — Early Soviet body armor used in field conditions

Standard pouches were inconvenient, so “folk creativity” flourished wildly. For example, load-bearing vests were made from life vests that were part of armored vehicle equipment. Pieces of foam were removed and magazines were carried instead. In the 1983 photos above, we see homemade load-bearing vests, presumably made from oversized 1969-pattern field jackets (large enough to fit over body armor). Sleeves were cut off and magazine pockets sewn on at the bottom, and the rig was ready.

Another option: take a duffel bag, rip it open to make a strip of fabric. Cut a hole for the head, fold the “hem” at the front and back, stitch it — and you get magazine pockets. Use scraps of straps to make pocket flaps and side ties. This thing was put on over the head like a body armor vest and tied at the sides.

Diagram of improvised Soviet load-bearing vest used during the Afghan war — Diagram showing construction of improvised Soviet load-bearing equipment

To be fair, I should note that the person who described this homemade rig saw it not in Afghanistan, but already in the early 1990s. When I first read this description, I was simply shocked. This isn’t even “making porridge from an axe,” it’s literally “making candy out of crap.”

In the late 1980s, the Airborne Forces introduced a system called BVD, the airborne soldier’s combat load.

Soviet soldier wearing a homemade chest rig during the Afghan War, early 1980s — Soviet soldier in Afghanistan wearing a homemade chest rig, early 1980s

Soviet BVD load-bearing vest laid flat showing construction and pockets — Soviet BVD load-bearing vest, flat view.

Soviet soldier wearing improvised chest rig during the Afghan War — Soviet soldier with improvised chest rig in Afghanistan.

But it wasn’t very successful, and there weren’t many of them.

The most popular load-bearing systems, however, were chest rigs made from thin canvas, known in army slang as “bras.” The bra can be called one of the symbols of the Afghan war, along with mountains, Kalashnikov rifles, and Mi-24 helicopters.

Classic chest rig known as lifchik made from canvas with magazine pouches — Classic chest rig (“lifchik”) made from canvas.

These rigs were apparently invented by the Chinese sometime in the 1960s or even the 1950s. And this invention was, without exaggeration, brilliant. It’s like the Kalashnikov rifle in the world of equipment, the ideal balance of price and quality. It’s fairly comfortable and at the same time very cheap and simple in design.

Vietnamese partisans, Arab terrorists, and various African fighters could all afford it, people you wouldn’t exactly call wealthy or well supplied. If a global catastrophe happens and civilization collapses, small groups of survivors will roam the post-apocalyptic ruins, fighting over scraps of food. And they will sew bras for themselves out of whatever rags they find. That’s how it is, a real ode to the bra.

So our soldiers, like those post-apocalyptic fighters, had to somehow acquire bras. They sewed them themselves from shelter halves. They stitched together RD-54 pouches or standard infantry ones. Officers going on leave took samples and ordered them at tailor shops. They captured trophy ones. Honestly, it’s hard to wrap your head around it: warriors of a superpower that conquered half the world, sent ships to the Moon, were forced to strip barefoot savages because their homeland couldn’t be bothered to supply them with normal, humane equipment.

In the late 1980s, Soviet factory-made bras also began to appear. They were called Belt-A. There was also Belt-B, which attached under Belt-A and was used to carry rounds for an under-barrel grenade launcher.

Belt-A and Belt-B

Homemade rig from infantry pouches

Homemade Soviet chest rig made from field gear and pouches — Homemade chest rig made by Soviet soldiers.

Homemade rig from RD-54 pouches

Improvised chest rig made from RD-54 pouches used by Soviet soldiers — Chest rig assembled from RD-54 pouches.

Factory-made Belt-A and Belt-B

Soviet Poyas-A and Poyas-B load-bearing system from 1988 — Poyas-A and Poyas-B Soviet load-bearing systems.