is the australian navy uniform the most stupid ever

[martinexsquaddie]

blue camo is incredably stupid and pointless to start with.
camo on a ship is pointless
maybe realising how completely stupid this they had highly reflective strips to the arms.
sort of defeating the point really

[HollywoodMarine]

Uh... do you have a photo to back up your claim?

[muttbutt]

Uh... do you have a photo to back up your claim?
129409...........................

[B_706K]

Wow, say it as you see it there Martinex...
This could get interesting! :D

Besides, the Aussies aren't the only ones..

[flanker7]

I find it coold looking and usefull when around oil stains :-)

[passeur_TSI]

The french navy issued suit got reflective stripes also

[Britishhawk]

The reflective stripes are for if you go overboard I presume? I guess because it would make it hard to find you when you're the same colour as the ocean?

[passeur_TSI]

In case of fire also it can help locate your shipmates, during my reserve basic training we did an obstacle course in complete darkness (to simulate an environment full of smoke, where you can see nothing) the only things I saw where the stripes of the shipmate i was following.

[martinexsquaddie]

nothing wrong with the use of reflectice kits its the camoflauge pattern your a sailor your on a ship who the are you hiding from?

if you going to be really warry and step ashore two big problems you've got big reflective panels on your arms and your wearing blue clothing .

its a cretinous idea all round the US navys blue cammo is equally stupid

[JCR]

I always asked myself what is the point of the current shipboard camo craze?
I mean sailors definitely could use some help hiding on work detail but that's hardly the point :D

Even the german navy started wearing Wüstentarn on board, but that's only for tropical waters and the Khaki worn before that was really a bit useless.
But that is desert camo also worn by the army, not some specially created naval pattern.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

Helps hide the stains. Whatever stains those may be...

[California Joe]

There are a bunch of pics on here somewhere of the uniform. The hats are hilarious. If I remember correctly, our resident Aussies thought it was very silly.

[JCR]

On the other hand, from my experience on longer sea deployments the "uniform" thing becomes a very theoretical concept on a warship :D
Maybe that's different on really big warships though and on the next port of call everybody looks according to regulation again anyway...

[Andy S]

Its all about team spirit and identity, nothing to do with playing hide and seek on a ship!

I think it serves its purpose, people know who they are and where they are from, that they are part of a team and it hide all sort of staines a white shirt wont hide!

[MadOnionSix]

Belgian camo is still the best !!!!!!!!!!!!!
p-)

[digrar]

blue camo is incredably stupid and pointless to start with.
camo on a ship is pointless
maybe realising how completely stupid this they had highly reflective strips to the arms.
sort of defeating the point really


Its all about team spirit and identity, nothing to do with playing hide and seek on a ship!


Give the man a coconut, it's about corporate identity, the ADF is a big happy family and they all wear the same working uniform, to a degree.



nothing wrong with the use of reflectice kits its the camoflauge pattern your a sailor your on a ship who the are you hiding from?

if you going to be really warry and step ashore two big problems you've got big reflective panels on your arms and your wearing blue clothing .

its a cretinous idea all round the US navys blue cammo is equally stupid

People who need to wear the normal DPCU do wear it, without the bluish tinge and hi-vis stripes.

[Sabre]

Its all about team spirit and identity, nothing to do with playing hide and seek on a ship!

I think it serves its purpose, people know who they are and where they are from, that they are part of a team and it hide all sort of staines a white shirt wont hide!

Then what's wrong with a dark blue service uniform with NAVY written on it...hell, if you want to make it special, why not call it something nautical....ocean blue....sea blue....naval blue...

...I know, how about NAVY F***ING BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :roll:

There are select, high ranking people in the various western defence structures who seem to spend most of their time and our money looking for ways to justify their existence.

As for hiding 'stains'...I'll be ready to bet good money that there are uniform regs stating that these new cams are not to be worn during heavy maintenance, and that appropriate, fire-proof coveralls are to be issued for said purposes...

[WTIO]

4's and steaming bats for the win.

I really saw no point as to why the gangway staff on a pusser's grey would be wearing DPM when they can guard the place just as effectively in 4s. Blue camouflage seems to have even less of an application, at least DPM is already used by the Army and RM and could be used if you went ashore. Nothing wrong with reflective kit if it aids safety (foulie jackets have it on each upper arm in case no one realised) but reflective strips and cammies at the same time would appear to be at cross purposes to one another.

The corporate image thing is a fallacy I think, people are/were rather happy with 4s and ovies and would've surely thought it ridiculous if they'd been told they needed to cam up in the ops room or on the bridge - it's hardly going to stop an ASM or a torpedo. Corporate image would also go out the window when doing anything vaguely involving Work or Action as then the ovies and/or anti flash comes out over the top anyway! What do stokers wear in the USN and RAN?

Of course the American and Australian Navies have the perfect right to do this should they want to; I'm just glad I'll personally never have to wear it. The Navy is not the Army, and the Army isn't the Navy, after all.

[Ordie]

It's great for hiding stains and paint droppings.

[KSingh77]

It's a great uniform for painting.

Gotta get me one.

[WTIO]

Whatever happened to coveralls?

Doubtless a camouflage uniform is more expensive than a solid colour one, plus the programme costs to introduce/design it, for that amount of money you could buy a lot of replacement 4's if you got paint on them, not that you'd need them if you just painted in coveralls.

Or are those not the type of stains the USN is referring to? :p

[OzCam]

According to the RAN (if anyone actually, y'know, bothered to read their Press Release) the DPNU is designed to provide a "relaxed fit working uniform for tropical environments" and to echo the jellybean pattern which identifies the wearer with the Australian armed forces. It's not actually designed to hide the crewmember. It's about comfort and corporate identity.

If anyone knows where to get a surplus one*, I'd love to add it to my collection. I think it looks much better than the light grey overalls they used to wear.


(* The unfit for duty ones are supposed to be shredded).

[digrar]

You possessing such a piece of kit would make you a criminal. Sending you that piece of kit would make the sender a criminal. This board does not condone criminal behaviour.



http://www.defence.gov.au/media/departmentaltpl.cfm?CurrentId=8548

NEW NAVY UNIFORM UNVEILED IN DARWIN



A new and improved operational uniform for Navy personnel has been introduced into service and distributed for the first time in Darwin.

Officers and sailors in Patrol Boats protecting Australia’s northern waters on Operation RESOLUTE have been the first to be issued the Disruptive Pattern Navy Uniform (DPNU), which will now be rolled out to all 16,000 Royal Australian Navy (RAN) personnel nationwide.

The two piece outfit with its distinctive disruptive grey, green and black pattern is a significant change from the one piece grey overalls which are presently worn across Navy. The DPNU is designed to be more comfortable and practical for Navy personnel, especially in warmer climates.

The uniform will also clearly identify Navy personnel as Australian as it is comprised of the traditional AUSCAM pattern. It is not, however, intended to be used in a camouflage role.

Commanding Officer of the Attack 4 crew, Lieutenant Commander Viktor Pilicic said his crew were flattered to be the first to wear the new uniform.

“It’s not often that you get to be part of such a first. We have been trialling a prototype of the uniform since this time last year so the crew knows how good this uniform is for the type of work we do,” LCDR Pilicic said.

The DPNU will soon become a common sight outside Navy bases with personnel permitted to wear their new outfits on the way to and from work.

RAN personnel will still wear traditional ‘dress of the day’ (for example the white uniform is summer) when in an office environment and on ceremonial occasions.

Media note:
Imagery will be available on the defence website later today at www.defence.gov.au/media/download (http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download) and vision will be distributed through Parliament House.

Media contact:
Defence Media Liaison: 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664
Regional Manager Public Affairs – NT: Steve Mullins 08 8935 8491 or 0411 885 994

[Ballistic]

RANCAM was/is a massive pile of sh!t. It's also a massive waste of money.

Coveralls served the RAN well, the whole naval camo thing is such a fvcking farce.

[grendel]

The uniform apparently scares the bejeesus out of the Iranian navy (even if they don't believe in Jesus) p-)

[Soldat_Américain]

I thought the old gray utilities RAN used to use were perfect. Why the US Navy couldn't just take the coast guard as an example and use their blue utilities I'll never know. And now if you fall overboard you won't been seen.

[Rakki]

I thought the RAN "navalized" Ozcam pattern looks nice. It' certainly a good utility uniform because stains don't show up (as much). It's also very distinctively Australian.

For some reason, I just don't like the US Navy's own digital pattern. It just looks like a mess.

[Andreas]

Hehe, looked pretty retarded

[G-AWZT]

So much for good ol' dungarees.

[T3ngu]

Where is our favourite pusser?

[Ought Six]

mxs:
"is the australian navy uniform the most stupid ever"No, Sea Org's is (but that is mainly because of the people wearing it).

[Sandgroper]

The Navy Auscam might be a bit silly but this takes the cake. I think it's the People's Liberation Army Navy Coastal Defence Camouflage. Note camo boots.
http://a.imageshack.us/img197/6976/plamcdigiboots.jpg

[Opening Batsman]

Ahahahahaha that is simply outstanding!

[LRosee]

Aw c'mon guys have you had a close look at the AUSCAM pattern, I was given 4 days of extra duties when it was first released to the Army in the 80's.

My Regiment, 2 Sig Regt, held their first inspection parade in Cams and being in the second rank all I could look at was the cams of the guy in front of me. Unfortunately I started to giggle as the RSM approached and of course he started ripping me a new one and demanded to know why I was giggling on his parade ground.
I pointed out to him that the very professional soldier in front of me was wearing a uniform which was comprised of various coloured rabbit silhouettes and love hearts. The RSM looked at the back of the soldier in front of me and suddenly saw the pattern of the cams the same way I did. He only just made it to the end of the rank before he started having a laugh so he called off the parade and I got four days of extra duties for stuffing up a parade. Since then I have not been able to look at the AUSCAM Bunnies and love hearts with without a smile

Now 20 odd years later our Bunnies come in Greens, Tans and Greys and according to the rumours soon to be in blues for the RAAF too.

[Opening Batsman]

I got yelled at for being asleep in a lecture once when I was really just looking at my pants and finding all the bunny heads.

[T3ngu]

You sure you were not looking at your turtle head?

[Nige]

Helps hide the stains. Whatever stains those may be...
Seaman Stains :)
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[martinexsquaddie]

apprantly the royal navy wear dpm when carying a weapon so as to be distinctive.
to be fair the concept of a matlot carrying any sort of firearm is scary so being able to see them from a distance is a good thing :). I thought that was the pont of royal marines?
had an australian officer attached to us the kits good for the outback not brilliant on dartmoor he was so happy to get the probabtion service appointment :)

[BLUE THOR]

I laugh because the TV show "Sea Patrol" had these cams before most of the bloody Navy did! obviously the production team get alot of support from the RAN.

The best part of all this, everyone I know refers to these as SEA PATROL CAMS.

When the Navy wander by, the usual remark is either "F*cking Pussers!" or "F*cking Sea Patrol!"

[budgie]

You possessing such a piece of kit would make you a criminal. Sending you that piece of kit would make the sender a criminal. This board does not condone criminal behaviour.

Is it illegal to traffick in used Auscam? There's a store in Sapporo that has a few pieces of the Army one. Dunno if they're used or knockoffs...

I've also seen dudes wearing it from Dubai to Bangkok

[Manic Medic]

In answer to the main question... YES!

After having to wear it a few times before I departed that joke of an outfit. I found it embarrassing to wear, and of really poor quality. Stitching and the pop studs crap themselves at the first opportunity. However, It is an improvement on the Combat (Grey) Coveralls. The RAN seriously needed a two piece uniform. I didn't like the fact the uniform looks like your an extra on a "Street Fighter" movie. They look G.A.Y. The name badges, ect... look out of proportion and generally wrong.

Like most of the uniforms in the ADF, they are overdue, poor quality, poorly designed. When I was asked my thoughts about the new uniform by the WO-N. I certainly let him know my thoughts.
I asked him about the other clothing items like t-shirts and if we are getting new ones with the new uniform like the the flame resistant, bacterialstatic, moisture wicking clothing that most modern forces are intruducing... He'd never heard of it. At that point he got out his note pad. Saying this, I doubt it has had the comfort and the protection of the wearer as a priority, only a cost.

Overall it give the appearence of being amatuerish and like your on your way to play paintball.
It makes me laugh at all of the Pussers who now think they are now war-fighters because of it... Stop watching Sea Patrol... Bwah ha ha!

[retrobob]

The colour is meant to match the blue of the Tyrolean lakes. All these years I didn't know that they even had a Navy,those fiendishly clever Austrians!

[Manic Medic]

Umm, the threat is about Australians... Just say on to dyslexia!

[retrobob]

A rather weak attempt of me to revive a once popular Mp.net 'in' joke .Anyway,dyslexia rules KO

[JCR]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h3zPEoKhop0/SexfdluM4fI/AAAAAAAABB0/C60GsYjUzzc/s400/worst-country-in-europe-australia.jpg
.................

[OzCam]

Is it illegal to traffick in used Auscam?

Probably. It's quite often illegal to trade in armed forces uniforms, depending on the jurisdiction and laws involved. It's usually covered by "unauthorised posession of state property" or some such.

It's pretty variable. For instance, civilian posession of an Irish DF uniform is strictly against Irish law, but enforcement could be better. The British Army doesn't care, you can buy used DPM by the ton. And, of course, if you're in the UK no-one's going to care if you have Paddyflage in your wardrobe, and vice versa. Some countries are a lot stricter about it.

[Knight216]

I thought they used it so that the navy kids would feel more "military", or that others would recognize them as being a distinctive part of such an organization. I mean, you know they're RAN if you see them, right? The US Navy Smurflage is intended for a similar purpose - oh, and to hide oil stains, I guess.

Or maybe it's for a further identity crisis - "Join the Navy, we have camo, too!"

Whatever floats their boat (pun intended).

I did wonder why you'd want to wear a blue camouflage if you have a chance of falling overboard or your boat sinking, etc., but I guess they fixed that with the reflective stripes.

[SBL]

You could do a lot worse in my opinion. Looks better than the US Navy's new uniform, anyway.

[WTIO]

This corporate image stuff is a red herring, whenever this stuff gets used for when it counts you'll not see it for antiflash, ovies, fearnaught et al anyway. As for looking 'high speed' or 'warry', I can't speak for others but I was proud enough wearing 4s and wearing navy-flage would just be cringeworthy to me... Might make a decent 'urban cam' if the ADF ever wanted one, but why would you want it on a ship?

Banning DPM makes no sense since its internationally available so people would just get it from different sources. Buying Oz-Cam may well be illegal under Australian law but I'd have thought you'd have to go to Oz to get arrested for it, and that's quite far from Ireland.

But seriously, why would you bother, for naval purposes?

[Arnie100]

But seriously, why would you bother, for naval purposes?

What better way to avoid work detail (and the CPOs) if you can blend in with your ship's surroundings? :lol:

[digrar]

The uniform will also clearly identify Navy personnel as Australian as it is comprised of the traditional AUSCAM pattern. It is not, however, intended to be used in a camouflage role.

Once again.

[Eztyga]

Where is our favourite pusser?

You called good sir!

As Digs has pointed out, and indeed myself on a seperate thread, this rig is all about identity. The reflective strips are so you can be located in a smoke filled compartment or in the water.

It should be noted that they intend to re-issue the plain grey coveralls to technicians like myself for work that is likely to make you dirty and/or oily.