IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN

The sand of two modern conflicts

Coalition units arrived in Iraq and Afghanistan with equipment painted according to their own national regulations, so shades that have nothing in common on paper met in one and the same convoy. The six paints in the package capture that variety. The American, British and German sides are represented, along with the color of the newly built Iraqi army.

The shades and where they come from

The sand color of the new Iraqi army and the British sand yellow form the pair of lightest tones. The American side is represented by the shade to Federal Standard 33446, that is desert sand, with which equipment was painted throughout the region from the 1990s on. The German zone is covered by the trio RAL 8031, RAL 1039 and RAL 6040, used on the tropical and desert camouflage of the Bundeswehr.

Where you will use the paints

• On wheeled carriers, armored vehicles and trucks from operations after 1990.
• On the gear of figures, where the same tones appear on bags, pouches and helmet covers.
• As an undercoat for dusting, because light sand tones take a lot of dust without losing their definition.
• Check the intensity on a test piece; over a large area the shade comes out lighter.

The German trio of shades can also be used on its own, among other things on older tropical schemes and on equipment intended for missions outside the two countries named. The lightest tones also suit an undercoat for faded tarpaulins and tent sections lying beside a vehicle.