Georgia

Georgia

Georgia (საქართველო) is a sovereign country in the Caucasus region of Asia, but from 1936 until 1991 it was the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (GSSR) within the Soviet Union (USSR). In 1988, Georgian nationalists led a series of demonstrations calling for independence from the Soviet Union, culimating in a large but peaceful Anti-Soviet protest in Tblisi between 4 and 9 April, 1989. A draconian response from the Soviet Army (the April 9 Tragedy) resulted in hundreds of injuries and at least twenty-one deaths, but did nothing to vanquish the Georgian movement towards independence. Over the following two years, resistance to Soviet government increased, and included large scale civil and military disobedience known as the "Tblisi Syndrome," in which ethnic Georgian members of the military refused to follow orders without a clearn trail of responsibility. On March 31, 1991, Georgians passed a referendum with 99% support for independence from the Soviet Union, and on April 9th the country officially declared itself the Republic of Georgia (although it is referred to as საქართველო [Sakartevlo] or Қырҭтәыла according to the 1995 Constitution - simply Georgia.

Following its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, two major regions of Georgia would erupt into ethnic conflict and calls for automomy from the Georgian state. In South Ossetia, a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, historic tensions between the ethnic Georgian population and the dominant Iranian-speaking Ossetians (historically refered to as "Alans") spilled over into violence and open warfare beginning in December 1990. The South Ossetia War lasted from January 5th, 1991 until June 24th, 1992 and resulted in more than one thousands deaths. Suppported by the government of Russia, the South Ossetian forces wrested control of their historic territory from Georgia, establishing the Republic of South Ossetia. Following twelve years of relative peace and coexistence, periods of conflict again erupted following minor incidents in June 2004, September 2006, October 2006, and August 2007, leading to a state of war between Georgian and Russian forces (The Russo-Georgian War) in August 2008. South Ossetia remains a de facto independent state, although only partially recognized on the international level. The conflict with Georgia is considered "unresolved."

In Abkhazia, a region in the South Caucasus on the coast of the Black Sea, ethnic tensions between Abkhaz and Georgian populations resulted in a thirteen-month long War in Abkhazia, lasting from 14 August 1992 until 30 September, 1993 and pitting the fledgling Georgian Armed Forces against ethnic Abkhaz separatist forces supported by the Russian Armed Forces and militants from the northan Caucasus. When the conflict was over, Abkhazia was declared an independent republic (although not internationally recognized), and more than 250,000 ethnic Georgians found themselves displaced from Abkhazia. More than 10,000 Georgians and Abkhaz were killed in this conflict.

Typical Soviet-designed camouflage patterns were employed until 1992, when variations unique to the region and the Georgian Armed Forces were introduced. Beginning in 2001, a variety of foreign-produced camouflage designs began to see short periods of service, including surplus uniforms from the USA, Germany and Turkey. Today the Georgian Armed Forces (საქართველოს შეიარაღებული ძალები, or Sak’art’velos Sheiaraghebuli Dzalebi) employ Asian-made copies of contemporary US patterns such as MARPAT and Multicam.

Georgian Camouflage Patterns

• A holdover from the Soviet era, the use of solnechnye zaychiki or berezkha pattern camouflage uniforms with some Georgian military units continued well into the 1990s, and as late as 2007-2008 by special units of the Army and Police.

• The armed forces of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic have been documented as wearing a brown variant of the Soviet TTsKO tricolor woodland pattern. Uniforms were probably made in Russian or Ukrainian factories. Other variants of the TTsKO may well have been used.

• Between 1992 and 1995, variations of the Russian dubok (little oak) or VSR pattern camouflage were worn by Georgia. Again, these were probably imported from Russian or Ukrainian factories and not locally produced.

• Originally conceived in the 1980s by the Soviets as a commercial design, this unique "swirl" or "marble" (мрамор) camouflage pattern began to see use in military uniforms around 1992-1993, entering production in both Russian and Ukraianian factories. The design is also known to have been worn by some units of the Georgian armed forces fighting in the Abkhazia region, probably obtained through Ukraianian sources. A dark green and brown swirled pattern on a khaki background, uniforms were also exported to Moldova.

• Another variation of the Soviet TTsKO tricolor pattern was also first documented during this period. This pattern, having dark green and brown whorled shapes on a khaki background, was also worn by Moldova, Tajikistan and possibly Azerbaijan. Produced in the Ukraine, the camouflage design is sometimes referred to as "Transnistrian pattern."

• Between 2001 and 2007, Georgian soldiers were frequently photographed wearing US m81 woodland pattern uniforms, including the PASGT helmet cover and M65 field jacket. Although many of the initial uniforms were obtained from the United States (USA), it is also very plausible that some of the later production runs were from the Ukraine or China.

• Photographs from 2001 show Georgian soldiers wearing a BDU-style field uniform and cap made from Chinese woodland pattern camouflage fabric. It is theorized the uniforms were made for export in China.

• Beginning around 2008, the standard camouflage uniform of the Georgian Armed Forces became a copy of the US Marine Corps temperate MARPAT digital design. For deployments to arid or desert environments, a copy of the desert MARPAT camouflage pattern was adopted. Neither pattern includes the EGA embedded into the design, and the color palettes are slightly different to those used by the US Marine Corps. By 2014, both variations of the pattern were all but depleted from supply stocks and are not scheduled to be replaced.

• Also introduced around 2008, and in use with special units of the Georgian State Security Service as well as units of the State Protection Service, is the the Universal Camouflage Pattern formerly adopted by the United States Army.

• Personnel from the Special Forces Brigade of the Georgian Army began wearing a copy of US-designed Multicam circa 2009, right around the time the unit first deployed to Afghanistan. This variation of the design has since been adopted by the entire Armed Forces and has replaced the previously issued copy of MARPAT.

• A commercial variation of the Italian vegetata temperate camouflage pattern is currently worn by the Border Protection troops.

Other Camouflage Patterns worn by Georgia

• Some elements of the Georgian armed forces in 2001 also wore Turkish surplus uniforms in the "elongated leaf" pattern. It is unknown how long the uniforms remained in service.

• Circa 2001-2003, certain special units of the Georgian Armed Forces wore the US-issue Desert Battledress Uniforms or DBDU in its distinctive "chocolate chip" (six color) camouflage pattern.

• A small contingent of Georgian military personnel served with the UN mission to Kosovo in 2005 (KFOR) under command of the German contingent, and wore German Army issue flecktarn camouflage uniforms with appropriate Georgian and KFOR insignia.

• Between 2005 and 2008, the Georgian contingents operating in Afghanistan (OEF) and Iraq (OIF) deployed wearing surplus US military issue tricolor desert pattern camouflage uniforms.