Modern US Army and USMC AFV paint set

The CARC camouflage system and improvised winter white

Since the 1980s the armored vehicles of the US Army have been painted with the CARC system, that is with coatings resistant to chemical decontamination. The trio of NATO Green FS34094, NATO Brown FS30051 and NATO Black FS37030 is carried by most vehicles of the Army and the Marine Corps. The older Dark Green FS34079 from the MERDC palette matches the overall finish of the first Abrams tanks and also of some Marine Corps machines during Desert Storm.

Desert service is covered by two tones. Desert Tan FS33446 was the original standard and had a strong tendency to fade; the newer Sand FS33531 appears on vehicles from later operations and also suits lightening the panels over the sand coat. Seafoam Green FS24533 belongs to the interiors of modern carriers and combat vehicles, that is the M113, the amphibious AAVP7 and the M2 and M3 Bradley.

One bottle stands apart

The eighth tone, Temporary White, is not a lacquer but a washable matte acrylic. It matches the way winter camouflage was really done on vehicles: the white was sprayed over the permanent finish and rinsed off after the season. On a model it can be laid over a dried lacquer coat and partly removed again, so that a worn winter look appears without the risk of disturbing the camouflage underneath.

Vehicles of the 1990s and later differ mainly in which of the two desert tones they carry, and the difference shows clearly in photographs. Before applying decals on armored vehicles it pays to polish at least the places under the markings, because a matte surface would leave a pale edge around them.