Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

April, 2004

NATO Green Equivalent

Q. Do you know if there is a color number per FED-STD-595 that is equivalent to NATO Green BS381C, Color No, 285 (RAL #6014) or does the IRR requirement (DEFSTAN 00-23 and DEFSTAN 80-208) make this impossible?

Also, do you know where I can find colors per BS4800 and a conversion to FED-STD-595? I have been all over the web and can't find anything close.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

A. There is no equivalent color card for NATO Green, it stands alone.

Nato Green was developed by NATO for NATO. The US Army camouflage #383 green is sometime confused and compared to NATO Green, but it is not a match.

The US Army Research Laboratory, ARL, (jescarse@arl.mil) is more knowledgeable on this topic and John Escarsega may be a good source of information.

I don't have a sample of the BS4800 but I do have a full set of Federal Standards 595a colors. If you send me a sample of the BS4800 then I'll be happy to compare it with the federal standard colors and tell you which one is the closest match.

Best regards,

Tom Burke