M88

M88
Type	Battledress
Designation	Obrazyets 1988, Obr88
Place of Origin	USSR
Produced	1984 - 1991
Manufacturer(s)	Unknown
Material(s)	Unknown
Evolved from	Unknown
Evolved into	Unknown
Service
Used by	Soviet Armed Forces Russian Armed Forces United Armed Forces of Novorossiya
Wars	Soviet–Afghan War First Chechen War War in Ukraine

The M88 is a battledress of Soviet origin.

Overview

M88 is the last of dress regulations for the armed forces of the Soviet Union. It was meant to replace all battle dress uniforms of the Soviet army by 1988. Because of the Soviet-Afghan War, the Soviet Union adopted the new dress regulations very quickly beginning in 1985.

The new cut of uniforms was very modern for the time. Compared to the previous dress regulations of 1969 (M69) the uniforms were much more loose fitting and had a more specified purpose than the previous M69 was (eg. Pants were not breeches anymore as the purpose of breeches was outdated at the time they were introduced).

M88 pattern uniforms were produced until the early 1990s with the last ones being the VSR camouflaged M88 uniforms made in 1993.

Variants

Illustration of the summer and winter variants of solid-colored m88 from an official Soviet uniform regulations document

Afghanka (summer/winter suit)

• khaki
• brown
• glass fabric
• sage green
• olive
• black
• grey

A Russian-backed separatist sniper wearing a winter M88 with the liner removed near the village of Vergulivka, just outside Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2015

The solid-colored M88 uniforms received the nickname "Afghanka" due to their intensive use during the Soviet-Afghan War. Some sources state that the uniform was approved by the Minister of Defense of the USSR with order № 0145 in 1984, although, it is speculated when exactly began its production, according to some production could have began even earlier in 1983 so to be fully adopted as main uniform by 1988 per the 5 year plans of the Soviet economy, nevertheless, according to photographic evidence the khaki afghanka was introduced to service in 1985 and was mass produced and used as the main uniform of the Soviet forces from this point on, as such these uniforms are widespread today as surplus militaria.

The glass fabric variant is made of polycotton and retains is colour longer, feels softer and is tougher than regular cotton. Also, the glass fabric Afghankas generally are made in more grey shade color. Polycotton does not soak up as much water as cotton and dries quicker too. The olive and green afghankas were introduced at some point later, they were intended for usage in different theaters. The most rare type of Afghankas are the black, grey and blue colored ones, they were manufactured in 1991.

Comparison of different colored M88 Afghanka uniforms, from left to right: sage green, glass fabric and khaki

A summer M88 Afghanka in sage green color manufactured in 1991

Another view

A summer M88 Afghanka in black color manufactured in 1991

Markings

A summer M88 Afghanka shirt in olive

A summer M88 Afghanka pants in olive

Another M88 Afghanka in olive manufactured in 1993

Another view

The shirt

Collar

Markings

Pants

Waist

A khaki Afghanka manufactured in 1985

Markings

Spetsodezhda (2nd pattern)

• M88 Spetsodezhda

The contemporary Spetsodezhda uniforms were made in the new and updated M88 cut rather than the old design.

M88 Spetsodezhda summer variant, manufactured in 1989

Another M88 Spetsodezhda summer variant

Pants

Side view of pants

Camouflaged (summer/winter suit)

• ttsko green
• ttsko pink
• ttsko brown
• bi color

The camouflaged M88 uniforms were likely introduced as later variants as most of them were manufactured in 1991. The pink ttsko camouflaged uniforms were used by the VDV. Due to their short production span, these uniforms are very rare today.

Gallery

An M88 winter jacket in TTsKO camouflage manufactured in 1991, note the removed lower pockets

Backside view

Interior

Markings "91" indicating the year of manufacture "48-4" indicating the size

A brown ttsko camouflaged M88 suit manufactured in 1993

Markings

In popular culture

Media	Notes	Date
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.'s Way	The khaki afghanka is worn by the Soviet troops, anachronistic for the 1960s setting	2002
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops	The khaki afghanka is worn by the Soviet troops	2006
World in Conflict	???	2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare	The glass fabric and sage green Afghanka variants are worn by the Ultranationalists	2007
Call of Duty: Black Ops	The olive set and black afghanka pants are worn by the Spetsnaz, olive jackets are hanged on walls in Soviet bases, however, this is anachronistic as the olive afghanka was made post 1985 and the black one in 1991 while the game is set during the 1960s	2010
DayZ	TTsKO camouflaged jacket and pants featured as combat jacket and combat pants	2013
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain	The khaki afghanka is worn by the Soviet troops	2015
Call of Duty: Black Ops III	It appears in the remaster of the map Firing Range	2015
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered	Worn by the Ultranationalists in various colors, a multiplayer version is inaccurately depicted in US frogskin camo	2016
Chernobyl	The khaki afghanka is worn by Soviet troops	2019
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War	The khaki afghanka is worn by Soviet soldiers, anachronistic for the 1981 setting	2020
IGI: Origins	The khaki afghanka is worn by Soviet troops, anachronistic for the 1980 setting	TBA
‘83	The khaki afghanka is worn by Soviet troops	TBA