Kazakhstan

Republic of Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan (Қазақстан Республикасы) is an independent Central Asian republic, formerly a part of the Soviet Union. The nation declared itself independent on 16 December, 1991.

The Armed Forces of Kazakhstan (Қазақстанның Қарулы күштері/Qazaqstannıñ Qarwlı küşteri) were largely inherited from the Turkestan Military District of the USSR, but have been restructured and re-fitted in the years since the country was declared independent. In addition to the ground forces of the Army, Air & Air Defense units, and a small Naval force based on the Caspian, the National Security Committee (UQK) has its own Internal Security Troops, Border Guards, Military Counterintelligence, Foreign Intelligence Bureau and a number of special operations units. A Republican Guard unit of approximately 2500 personnel was formed in 1994. Airmobile forces (paratroops/air assault) consist of at least three brigades.

Camouflage Patterns of Kazakhstan

• At the time the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan were initially formed, Soviet-era uniforms were still being issued. Of these, the Soviet dubok (VSR) pattern seems to have survived the longest.

• Units of the Airmobile forces and NSC Internal Security special troops have also continued to wear the solnechnye zaychiki (sunshine rays) lightweight camouflage uniforms into the present era.

• In the mid-1990s, the Kazakh Armed Forces began wearing locally-made copies of the US m81 woodland camouflage pattern, cut in typical Soviet-style uniforms. Some of these uniforms were also imported from China.

• A variant of the woodland pattern having elongated shapes (in many ways, more akin to leaf patterns) emerged in the early 2000s. As with earlier uniforms, the style remained typical of the Soviet design. Color variations have been noted, including the second type incorporating more earthy, arid colors

• A desert camouflage pattern based on the US six-colour "Chocolate Chip" design also emerged in the early 2000s, Initially worn by Kazakh military personnel deployed to Iraq, the design has seen service in various arid regions and even on training exercises with units such as the Airborne Forces. Several mild color variations have been documented, and uniforms are believed to have been made locally and also imported from East Asian factories.

• The Ministry of Internal Affairs wear an "urban" or blue woodland camouflage design, incorporating black, dark blue-grey & mid blue-grey woodland shapes on a pale blue background.

• Kazakhstan introduced its own digital camouflage pattern for arid regions around 2008-2009, having grey and light green shapes on a tan background.

• The Peacekeeping Battalion (KAZBAT) participating in the Steppe Eagle 2014 exercise was outfitted in Russian SS-Leto pattern camouflage uniforms. Additionally, special operations troops trained by Russia were observed wearing this pattern in 2017.

• Members of the State Forest Guard wear uniforms similar to those of the Armed Forces in both leaf and woodland designs.

• A copy of Multicam pattern camouflage has been documented in use with some special operations units.

• Troops of the Ministry of the Interior (Ішкі істер министрлігі) wear a pixelated camouflage pattern designed in Russia and made by Polygon. This same pattern is worn by the Lithuanian Public Security Service.

• The Kazakhstan Border Guards (officially the Border Service of the National Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Қазақстан ұлттық қауіпсіздік комитеті шекара қызметі) adopted a pixelated camouflage design consisting of black, grass green and yellowish sand colors on a very light tan background circa 2013. This pattern may be Ukrainian in origins, although it appears to have been copied from a series of designs originally created by Hyperstealth Industries.

• Founded in 2014, the National Guard of Kazakhstan succeeded the Internal Troops of the Ministry of the Interior and has a similar function to its predecessor. Units of the National Guard wear a variety of camouflage patterns, including this arid design consisting of shades of brown and sand (with some light green) dithered together with few distinctive outline shapes. This pattern appears to date to 2015.

• Another pattern associated with the National Guard, and possibly only worn by the special forces unit Birkit (maroon berets), is a copy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern or UCP design.

• Adopted in 2016, the Kazakh Border Service introduced a new spotted camouflage pattern consisting of black, light green, grey, and khaki on a light tan background. It is uncertain whether this has replaced the earlier pattern from 2013.