The key facts

  • 100,000 sets of the new uniform have been delivered to the troops; summer trials revealed remarks, and winter testing is now underway
  • The Defense Ministry plans to reduce three sets of clothing (summer, winter, demi-season) to two — summer and winter
  • The uniform is designed for temperate climates, hot regions, and the Far North; no timeline for abandoning the demi-season set has been named

Winter trials after summer remarks

Russian military has begun testing the new winter uniform. This was announced by the head of the Rear Services of the Russian Armed Forces, Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Valery Solodchuk in the program 'The Main Thing with Olga Belova' on the TV channel 'Zvezda'. 'The cold weather is coming, and we have begun trialing the new uniform,' he said.

100,000 sets and plans for two seasons

According to Solodchuk, 100,000 sets of the new uniform have already been delivered to the troops — from the Far East to Kaliningrad, as Life.ru specifies. The summer version of the uniform previously underwent trials, following which servicemen made a number of remarks; manufacturers are now addressing them. According to the deputy minister, the winter trials will make it possible to assess the clothing's characteristics and determine what improvements will be needed before further use.

From three sets to two

Currently, the Russian army has three sets of clothing: summer, winter, and demi-season. Solodchuk said that the Defense Ministry plans to abandon the demi-season set and return to a separate 'summer — winter' scheme. For such a transition, according to him, modern materials are needed that allow servicemen to feel comfortable in various weather conditions; the army and defense industry enterprises are working on their development together. No specific timeline for the complete abandonment of the demi-season uniform has been named yet.

Climate zones and context

The updated equipment is being developed with various climate zones in mind: options are provided for temperate latitudes, extremely hot regions, cold areas, and the Far North. Life.ru also recalls that it previously reported the delivery to Russian troops of winter sets of the VKPO 3.1 field uniform, modernized based on the experience of operating the previous version — with improved thermal insulation and the design of individual elements.