FirstSpear TV

RAAF Officially Launches GPU

Yesterday during the Centenary of Military Aviation Airshow at RAAF Williams at Point Cook, the Royal Australian Air Force officially unveiled the new General Purpose Uniform.

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We talked about the GPU awhile back which is a garrison uniform for non-wartime deployers like the USAF ABU. However, it will be worn for some deployment scenarios such as humanitarian assistance. According to the RAAF, the pattern is an Air Force specific version of the Australian MultiCam Pattern (AMP) already in-use in Afghanistan.

“The purpose of the GPU is to provide a unique and easily identifiable Air Force presence to the Australian Defence and civilian communities, consistent with the Air Force’s distinctive identity and still effective in meeting our service requirements,” AIRMSHL Brown said.

“The GPU will begin from today to replace the current camouflage uniform, also worn by Army, for general base duties and in non-warlike environments such as humanitarian tasks and Defence assistance to the civil community.”

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RAAF personnel should look for these by the end if 2015.

www.airforce.gov.au

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56 Responses to “RAAF Officially Launches GPU”

  1. Dev says:

    Great.

    Now for the DPCU-coloured version to be announced on ANZAC day…

  2. steave says:

    Waist of money what f$#×kwit approved this when budgets are being slashed

  3. 10thMountainMan says:

    Thank you so much. It warms my heart to know other countries and services are working hard to ensure I do not look like the biggest deuchbag on the planet despite the abortion that is UCP.

  4. cy says:

    This is the dumbest sh#t. Why? Someone tell me why?

  5. Fox says:

    Our mental state on uniforms has rubbed off it seems…

  6. Mark says:

    What a fucking carnival.

  7. Glen says:

    dayum.

  8. Erik says:

    Bwahahaha the blueberry army grows!

  9. BradKAF308 says:

    My son says it looks like PJ’s. It’ll stop people from going out in public in uniform.

  10. AGL Bob says:

    But won’t they look outstanding on the parade ground.

  11. Darren says:

    As with our own Navy, it will be impossible to have self respect in a uniform that looks ridiculous and has no actual military value whatsoever. It makes you wonder how this asinine behavior has permeated outside of our borders, especially in age when folks were beginning to take uniforms and their visual utility seriously. This truly has me dumbfounded.

    • SubandSand says:

      You good sir, must not have ever had to wear the previous uniform in the Navy called Utilities. If you had then you would know how much the NWU is an improvement.

      http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MALE_ENLIST_UNIFORM_UTLITY.jpg

      • Darren says:

        SubandSand – I have not worn that particular uniform, but IMHO it is more professional looking than the street fighter camo in the fleet today. My comment was directed more at appearance than wear/functionality. Folks on the street see more sailors than those that likely interact with them. It’s hard to take someone seriously, especially as a warfighter (in the naval sense), wearing that get up.

  12. rico says:

    Desert tan boots look like ass with the blueberry uniform…black boots on second pic are better; to no avail.

    • BM says:

      They are photo-shopped Redback Terra’s, the former in service ADF Combat Boot. They will be rolling Tan Boots for some time,

      • Waste of Money says:

        Funny, the original photo of the RAAF site had them in Tan. Negative feedback must already be filtering back.

        How long before this cam is scrapped?

        Surprised the Australian media isn’t all over this yet.

      • Dev says:

        I still wake up screaming mid night because of those abhorrent footwear.

  13. SGT Rock says:

    *Facepalm*

  14. Stefan S. says:

    Now that uniform is ……Fugly. or queer as hell!

    • Bushman says:

      “Fugle” means “birds” in Danish. So it makes me thinking of Blue jay.

  15. threeseven says:

    Terrible. Now just roll the sleeves up to complete the effect. Atleast now I won’t have to see RAAF getting around in DPCU in a baseball cap and rolled up sleeves looking like complete slobs anymore.

    I don’t even have the energy to be angry about this kind of thing anymore. When I think about the fact that somewhere out there multiple people in a position of authority within Defence made the decision to let this go ahead, it makes me want to just lay down and take a nap. It’s not even funny. The waste is legitimately terrifying.

  16. Superbad says:

    The GPU project was touted as being cost-neutral, as the RAAF ‘procures’ its DPCU uniforms from the Army. The rationale is that the cost of not procuring DPCU from the Army would offset the cost of producing the GPU. However, now that black boots are to be part of the GPU ensemble, how is the project cost-neutral anymore? We’ve just had a comprehensive ADF boot trial to replace the Terra boots, with the Danner boot coming out on top. So how is it that the RAAF, in these budget-conscious times, can afford to spend money on buying new boots for the entire organisation, particularly when there are actual capability needs going unfilled?

    • Big daddy says:

      Well I know the RAAF said it would ‘cost neutral’ but this appears to a failed Jedi mind trick. How is it cost neutral if RAAF members will still require DPCU to deploy with? Add to that the Army Multi cam Uniform then its not ‘cost neutral’ its ridiculous. Although I have not heard anything about AMCU in quite a while, I will drop my fill if the Army abandones it and sights budget restraints.

  17. AirLand says:

    Saw it today at the same airshow. Actually wasn’t that bad! Certainly does the job from a brand perspective. No change in the cut and it has little RAAF logos blended into the pattern.

    It is cost neutral as it will just replace the DPCU holdings, as required. Deployable JBACs and ADGies will get double issued DPCU and this pattern.

    An old school blue, like the RAAF original colours, would have been better but I am actually less pissed off now that I have seen it in person.

  18. jmac says:

    Just in time for Sydney Mardi Gras…

  19. Russel says:

    I want to see the new Oz Army AMCU

  20. Russel says:

    I also notice that this is the same old cut of uniform as the current DPCU, which is absolute rubbish. The pockets on the shirt and pants are useless. I hope the new AMCU will be cut in the same configuration as the Transitional AMP style i.e. knee and elbow pads etc.

  21. DDP says:

    “The purpose of the GPU is to provide a unique and easily identifiable Air Force presence”

    The first thing I did was check for the branch tape to see who I had to take the piss out of. You know…that big thing that says AIR FORCE.

    “…for general base duties and in non-warlike environments such as humanitarian tasks and Defence assistance to the civil community.”

    And when they do deploy to a ‘warlike environment’, they’ll be issued the same clobber as the Army, but will require a completely new uniform issue and thus doubling the cost. Something the RAAF will still have to budget for and purchase even though unlikely to be issued. What nong came up with this bright idea and can they be sued for misusing the term ‘camouflage’?

  22. This Gentleman says:

    Has the international community learned anything from the US and the abortion that is UCP? Apparently not…so glad to see our sacrifice was in vain…

  23. james says:

    This third world camouflage crap just seems to keep getting more prevalent. Not about anything but being unique and showy . Waste of money.

  24. Big daddy says:

    Well I know the RAAF said it would ‘cost neutral’ but this appears to a failed Jedi mind trick. How is it cost neutral if RAAF members will still require DPCU to deploy with? Add to that the Army Multi cam Uniform then its not ‘cost neutral’ its ridiculous. Although I have not heard anything about AMCU in quite a while, I will drop my fill if the Army abandones it and sights budget restraints.

  25. AUSSIE says:

    Well what do you expect? We gave America “Mad Max The Road Warrior” and they gave us “The Village People” !!

  26. Waste of Money says:

    Another waste of money.

    What happens when the RAAF is called to deploy on a moments notice like when Easy Timor unfolded?

    Sorry boys, you’ll be easy targets.

    “Shoot the Avatars!”

    Why wouldn’t they go for a grey urban multicam pattern that at least blends in with the tarmac.

  27. Kory S says:

    Why can’t they just use a regular multicam uniform? Itss effective and the army won’t be using it anymore after AMCU so it will be unique and effective.

    • tictac says:

      So negotiations with Crye have gone sour. Well, this means the Army will probably go with a totally different pattern anyway. This means that Hyperstealth’s US4CES camo has a (small) chance now.

  28. bloke_from_ohio says:

    This is fantastic. Many a giggle will be had from this.

  29. Riceball says:

    While many are laughing at the idea of blue camouflage it does make a certain amount of sense in that it (theoretically) does the same thing as the USN’s NWU I in that it will hide dirt, grease, & paint better than a conventional camo or a solid colored uniform. However, I’m really not big on the whole idea of a garrison/non-combat uniform and a separate for if you get deployed into some sort of warzone, it would be far simpler just to have one uniform and camo pattern for both garrison and deployment. Then to help preserve the uniforms of aircraft maintainers just issue them overalls that they can wear when working on aircraft.

  30. Bishop says:

    pretty cool looking uniform, maybe the raf should paint our plans blue too

  31. Great White North says:

    WOW! Please do not give the RCAF any ideas. At least they will not need Hi Vis vests working on the flight line and it likely makes the pilots snicker too.
    Sorry RAAF.

  32. Alex says:

    All I can think of when I see it is that the Australian public will see it and assume Hollywood is shooting a Battleship 2 movie.
    All negativity aside in regards to colour why did RAAF need their own pattern. Why couldn’t they have kept the DPCU style ‘jellybean’ or ‘hearts and bunnies’. That is what the RAN did, same pattern but with the grey colour palette. Then every service is identifiable as Australian and they all have their own colour. DPCU for Army, DPNU for Navy and DPAFU? for Air Force.