Soviet Tropical Flight Suit

 

   
Tropical Flight Suit
  

  
Su-17 Pilot

The Pilot is Wearing:
The tropical weight flight suit and a ZSh-3 protective helmet with the early light blue visor.  Under the helmet the pilot is wearing the ShLO-78 tropical leather helmet and the KM-32 oxygen mask with throat microphone attached.

Sources Cited  

 

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of the Soviet Superpower

   

 

More about the uniform...

As the Soviet Union began projecting its power into the tropical regions of the world in the 1960's it soon became clear that a lighter weight flight suit would be needed.  The light weight tropical flight suit is composed of a pair of trousers and a jacket that are both made of a thinner cotton material than the conventional dark blue flight suit.  The upper left pocket contains a holder and lanyard for the PM Makarov pistol (seen at right), while the upper right pocket has a pouch for a single spare magazine.  The pockets of the jacket feature zippers, as does the jacket itself.  Only the small pocket found on the upper right arm features a button closure.  The trousers have two thigh pockets, while the fly is fastened by a single row of buttons.  The boots are the typical Soviet pilot variety that use laces, but have a zipper along the side.  The lightweight tropical flight suit is made in two colors: light blue and a khaki color.
   
Other components of this uniform are the tropical version of the soft leather helmet (the ShLO-78 in this case) which has a mesh lining across the back of the head for ventilation.  The ZSh-3 (защитний шлем) protective helmet is one of several helmets that can be used in conjunction with this suit.  It is a three part affair comprised of the aluminum outer shell, a leather inner helmet, and a Kh-32 oxygen mask.  The helmet is issued in three sizes (1, 2, and 3), while the mask is issued in 5 sizes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).  The visor of the ZSh-3M helmet comes in three colors.  Originally the color was blue, but as it provided little protection from the glare of the sun it was changed to green.  Later versions have a smoky dark color and are somewhat common.  Like most other Soviet helmets, the ZSh-3 has no form of integral communications.  This feature is provided by a throat microphone found on the leather helmet worn underneath it.  The ZSh-3M in this picture does have a provision for a microphone in the KM-32 mask.  The KM-32 oxygen mask and throat microphone complete the uniform.
 

Service Chronology

Due to the lack of sources regarding the Soviet tropical flight suit it is difficult to date its entry into service or its retirement.  Examples of it can be seen in photographs from the late 1970's and in books of the early 1990's.  In these pictures the uniform is most commonly worn by fighter and ground attack pilots.  We hope to eventually determine the uniform's place in the chronology of the Soviet air force.

 
This Uniform Replaced... Tropical Flight Suit This Uniform was Replaced by...
Nothing.  It  a lightweight version of the standard M-55 flight suit for use in warm climates. Uncertain at Present
(It was documented well into the 1990's, but may have been replaced by the new Russian khaki flight suit seen in use during the 2015 Syrian intervention).

 

Sources Cited
 

(1) Dzhus, Alexander M., Soviet Wings, Modern Soviet Military Aircraft. Novato: Presidio Press, 1991. Print.

(2) Zaloga, Steven J., Inside the Soviet Army Today, Oxford: Osprey Elite Series, 1987. Print.