From a reader who saw the earlier post of pictures of Canadian LAVs in Afghanistan and sent:

No, Murdoc. You want THIS.

Interesting that Canadian tanks get slat armor but LAVs do not.

01/12/07 - Latvian soldiers climb out of the back of a humvee at the conclusion of an electronic warfare counter-measures class near Diwaniyah, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2007. The Latvian soldiers are part of a maneuver group that will be providing security and conducting patrols in the Diwaniyah area. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rob Summitt) (Released)

Note the Latvians’ digital camo, which to Murdoc’s naked eye looks like a good pattern and color scheme, though maybe not quite so good in urban areas. It’s got a lot of “color” to it, which at first glance seems better than the US Army’s new Army Combat Uniform. The ACU does not incorporate the color black. ACUs, which are pretty light-colored in the first place, often appear to be pretty faded.

There’s a good post up on the ACU over at Defense Tech: New Army Camos: No Place to Hide?. It’s got some good pics.

Good discussion in the comments section, too, so check it out. One commenter notes that washing the ACU with the wrong detergent can contribute to the “faded” look.

A port view of the guided missile cruiser USS LEAHY (CG 16) launching an RUR-5A ASROC anti-submarine rocket. Camera Operator: PHC T. AHLGRIM Date Shot: 7 Jan 1983

This is a shot of the old, out of service Mk112 ASROC launcher, commonly known as the “Matchbox” because many of them were built by Diamond Match Company. These launchers were phased out in the 1990s as Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS)-equipped ships began entering service. I don’t believe that any of these Matchbox launchers are still in service with the US Navy, though many other nations still utilize them.

Note the (empty) twin-armed Mk26 Mk10 missile launchers fore and aft. These, though totally cool, were also phased out as the VLS entered service. VLS also replaced Armored Box Launchers (no Mk designation for the ABLs?).

Close-up of the Mk112 launcher below:
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