TAZ 83

TAZ 83
Closeup of TAZ 83 fabric
Type	Military camouflage pattern
Place of origin	Switzerland
Service history
In service	1957-1993
Used by	See Users
Wars	Kosovo War
Production history
Produced	1957-1993

The TAZ 83 is a military camouflage pattern used by the Swiss Army for the Kampfanzug 57/70 (combat dress 57/70) and the TAZ 83 (Tarnanzug, camouflage dress 83). It also is known as "Alpenflage" or "pizza camouflage" among collectors of militaria as military surplus camouflage clothing it came on to the army surplus market in the 1990s.

Swiss Militärblachen with the TAZ 83 pattern are still in use in the Swiss Army along with Militärblachen with a green camo pattern (not the same pattern as the TAZ 90).

History

The pattern is based on an experimental all-terrain pattern that saw limited service in World War II by Germany's Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht called Leibermuster.

The Kampfanzug 57/70 was issued from 1957 to 1993 (after 1970 with a textile daypack) and the lighter TAZ 83 with different pattern from 1983 to 1993 for non-combat troops before both were replaced by the TAZ 90.

Pattern

The Kampfanzug 57/70 is a six-colour camouflage pattern consisting of a tan-coloured background with white random flecks with light green body overprinted with a green, red/reddish brown and black leaf shapes. The choice of red and green would at first glance seem to make this pattern very bright for something intended to conceal, but it works well for FIBUA (fighting in built-up areas) environments and alpine terrain.

Swiss soldiers have referred to it as "Vierfrucht-Pyjama", which translates loosely as 'four-colour pyjamas'.

Users

• Switzerland

Non-State Actors

• Some acquired by Kosovo Liberation Army.

See also

• TAZ 90