Modern US Camo Scheme

Tamiya makes NATO green, brown and black. These paints are fairly close after weathering. You can also eyeball the color using the Tamiya paints as a guide while you compare them to Testors Model Master paints.

I'm doing a USMC Abrams from Operation Iraqi Freedom right now. I'm plan to use XF-58 Olive Green, XF-68 Nato brown, and XF-1 Flat Black. The kit calls for NATO Green and NATO Black, but I have an excess of Olive green and black is black as far as I'm concerned. Good luck.

Modern US vehicles are painted in (usually) 4 of 12 basic colours in what is known as US Mobility Equipment Research & Design Command (MERDC) schemes. The first 2 colours of each scheme cover about 90% of the vehicle roughly half each, with the secondary 2 colours about 5% each. Black is a secondary colour for all but the full white Artic scheme.

MERDC Colours in enamel H = Humbrol, TTM=Testors Model Master

Black FS 37038: H 33, TMM 1749
Dark Green FS 34102 (or 34082):H 117, TTM1713
Desert Sand FS 30279: H (4 parts 121+ 2 parts 118 + 1 part 110), TTM ?
Earth Brown FS30099: Neither known ?
Earth Red FS 30117: H 186, TTM 1701
Earth Yellow FS 30257 (or 33245): H (1 part 94 + 1 part 63) TTM ?
Field Drab FS 30118 (or 33105): H 142, TTM 1702
Forest Green FS34079: H 116,TTM 1710
Light Green FS 34151: H 151, TTM 1715
Olive Drab FS 34087 (or 34088): H (4 parts 108 + 3 parts 163 + 1 part 33), TTM 1711
Sand FS 30277 (or 33303): H( 6 parts 168 + 2 parts 118 + 1 part 110), TTM 1704
White FS 37875: H 34, TTM 1768

Some Humbrol colours may not be easy to find these days.

This comes from another site, apologies I can't remember which. Hope this helps.

PS If you want the low down on what schemes require what colours, drop me an email.

QUOTE: Originally posted by petbat Modern US vehicles are painted in (usually) 4 of 12 basic colours in what is known as US Mobility Equipment Research & Design Command (MERDC) schemes. The first 2 colours of each scheme cover about 90% of the vehicle roughly half each, with the secondary 2 colours about 5% each. Black is a secondary colour for all but the full white Artic scheme. MERDC Colours in enamel H = Humbrol, TTM=Testors Model Master Black FS 37038: H 33, TMM 1749 Dark Green FS 34102 (or 34082):H 117, TTM1713 Desert Sand FS 30279: H (4 parts 121+ 2 parts 118 + 1 part 110), TTM ? Earth Brown FS30099: Neither known ? Earth Red FS 30117: H 186, TTM 1701 Earth Yellow FS 30257 (or 33245): H (1 part 94 + 1 part 63) TTM ? Field Drab FS 30118 (or 33105): H 142, TTM 1702 Forest Green FS34079: H 116,TTM 1710 Light Green FS 34151: H 151, TTM 1715 Olive Drab FS 34087 (or 34088): H (4 parts 108 + 3 parts 163 + 1 part 33), TTM 1711 Sand FS 30277 (or 33303): H( 6 parts 168 + 2 parts 118 + 1 part 110), TTM 1704 White FS 37875: H 34, TTM 1768 Some Humbrol colours may not be easy to find these days. This comes from another site, apologies I can't remember which. Hope this helps. PS If you want the low down on what schemes require what colours, drop me an email.

MERDC schemes are no longer used as camo by US armed forces. They were replaced in the Mid-1980s by the now common to most countries, NATO three color scheme of brown, green, and black.

The three colors I use are all in the Testors Model Master Enamel line, they are:

Field Drab FS 30118
Black FS 37038
Medium Green FS 34102

These give a more faded look as the actual vehicles that I have seen and served on. They work for me.