Romania

The earliest camouflage uniforms worn by Romanian military personnel were made in Russia and were copied from the WW2 era Soviet masksirovochyi kombinezon or leaf pattern uniform. A similar style uniform, but printed in a different style of vegetated print, was also produced - both entering service in the 1960s. These remained the only standard issue camouflage uniforms until 1990, when an indigenous design was introduced. This followed four years later by another design, and both of these patterns remained in use - often alongside each other - for the next ten or fifteen years. Probably as part of a bid to enter NATO, in 2002 Romania discarded her old uniforms and adopted versions of the British Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) for temperate and desert conditions. These remain in common usage.

Romanian Camouflage Patterns

• The Soviet 1941 "leaf" pattern was introduced for service with Romanian Army reconnaissance personnel in 1960 and continued in service into the 1990s. Consisting of a grass green foliage pattern on a yellow-tan base, there is sufficient evidence to suggest the earliest production uniforms were actually produced in the Soviet Union. Later models appear to have been made in Romania. A variation of the pattern, having a grey/brown foliage pattern on a yellow-tan base, was also produced for "autumn" usage - the former reputedly intended for "spring" usage.

• An interesting locally-manufactured variation of the "leaf" pattern is also known to have been produced in the 1960s. This "inverse leaf" pattern has brown leaf shapes printed on a grass green field.

• Also introduced in 1960 was a different type of "leaf" pattern often referred to as persilla or "parsley" pattern. This design, having finely-detailed leafy shapes in foliage green on a yellowish-tan or khaki background, is known to have been introduced in Poland a few years earlier and was probably designed there. As with the other 1941 leaf pattern designs, the uniforms produced were Soviet-style two-piece oversuit models, and saw service primarily with reconnaissance personnel of the Romanian Army.

• The M1990 Romanian "leaf" pattern became one of two standard designs issued to all military personnel during the 1990s. Although several minor color variations exist, in general the pattern features black, brown & grass green leaf shapes on a khaki or field grey background.

• The M1990 pattern was also printed in a distinctive lighter colorway, possibly for wear at a different time of year (e.g. autumn). Again, several mild variations are known, but in general the pattern incorporates purplish-brown, olive green & ochre leaf shapes on a sandy background.

• An interesting variation of the M1990 pattern was also introduced for wear by the Romanian Ministry of the Interior. Having black, purple and grey leaf shapes on a pale blue background, this version was worn between 1990 and 2002.

• Only four years after the M1990 pattern was introduced, a different Romanian camouflage design emerged known as the M1994. Often called "fleck" pattern in English (perhaps due to its resemblance to the German flecktarn), the pattern generally incorporates black, brown & green spots on a khaki or light green background. This pattern was used interchangeably with the M1990, and there have been numerous accounts of both patterns being worn by the same individual. As with the M1990 pattern, the M1994 fell out of use in 2002 with the adoption of DPM.

• In 2002, the Romanian Ministry of Defence adopted two versions of the British Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM). Known as the M2002 pattern, the temperate version uses the same colorway as the British Soldier 95 (S95) and some have suggested the uniforms are made of cloth from the same manufacturer. Romanian uniforms are of a different styling to the British, and incoporate different types of fabric depending on the specific garment.

• The desert version of the M2002 is also a copy of the British S95 two-color desert camouflage. As with the temperate version, there is evidence to suggest the Romanian uniforms are manufactured locally from surplus British fabric.

• A unique camouflage design was introduced in the modern era for use by the Grupul Special de Protecţie şi Intervenţie (Special Group for Protection and Intervention) - GSPI. The pattern, distorted lines of black & grey on a white or light grey background, appears to be manufactured locally. As the unit does not exist any more, the pattern has probably been retired from service.