European I Camouflage”Charcoal lizard”

‘Euro I Camouflage, charcoal lizard (1978-1992)

The European I scheme, also known as Euro I or more colloquially as the ‘lizard’ or ‘charcoal lizard’ scheme, was developed from the 1977 Joint Attack Weapons System (JAWS) exercises at Nellis AFB in order to produce an ideal camouflage for the then-new A-10A, the USAF’s latest weapon to defeat Warsaw Pact armor in the highly verdant and forested environments of central Europe. The basic TAC Euro 1 scheme as applied to the A-10 was a three-color green/gray wraparound. The two greens consisted of FS 34102 Medium Green, which was taken from the earlier TAC camouflage scheme, and FS 34092 Gunship Green, which is the successor to the wartime ANA 612 but with a noticeable blue-green tone that the ANA version lacked. It is often known as Dark Green or Dull Dark Green. The gray chosen for the new scheme was initially FS 36231 Dark Gull Gray but this was seen as too light. It was replaced on the second aircraft by FS 36118 Medium Gunship Gray but this too was soon replaced in 1979 by the darker and more neutral FS 36081 Dark Gunship Gray, which became the definitive grey for this scheme. A novel characteristic of the Euro I scheme was the use of ‘gunship quality’ paint, even on the black (FS 37038) markings and insignia. This was specially formulated polyurethane paint that had additional requirements for sheen that were not part of existing standards. Given that FED-STD colors do not have official names, it is likely that many of the Euro I colors were informally given the ‘Gunship’ label as a result.

Only a small number of TAC aircraft converted to Euro I besides the A-10, largely because specific camouflage schemes had been developed for most of the TAC’s newest aircraft like the F-15 and F-16. The most notable was the F-4E/G which adopted a variation of Euro I that simply replaced the existing FS 30219 Dark Tan sections with FS 36081, leaving the two greens as FS 34102 and FS 34079 Forest Green. A similar scheme, though not officially referred to as Euro I, was used on ANG A-7Ds and consisted of a simpler two-color wraparound of FS 34079 and FS 36081. The only other aircraft to use the original Euro I scheme were the OV-10 and OA-37 observation aircraft as well as a small number of F-16s which in the late 1980s were used experimentally (and unsuccessfully) in the Close Air Support (CAS) role. Strangely, the F-111 kept its older TAC SEA scheme until retirement even though it was the only other front-line ground attack aircraft in the TAC inventory besides the A-10.

Despite its development as a tactical camouflage, the Euro I scheme was also adopted by the MAC during the 1980s, while a Euro I-inspired Strategic scheme was adopted by the SAC. These schemes are described separately below since they varied from the original TAC version. Despite its relatively short lifespan, the Euro I scheme is often considered to be one of the most striking USAF camouflage schemes ever used operationally, and intrinsically associated with the AirLand Battle doctrine of the 1980s along with its very similar Luftwaffe counterpart, the Norm 83 scheme.

Aeroplane

A-10 Thunderbolt II

F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-4 Phantom II

F-15 Eagle

F-111 Aardvark

A-7 Corsair II

Paint guide:

FS 34102 Medium Green: Described previously.

FS 34092 Gunship Green: Almost universally available but with the caveat that it is also often also matched to the wartime ANA 612 which was a noticeably deeper green without the blueish tone in the FED-STD version. But for the most part, it appears that the FED-STD version is what is most closely adhered to. The AK Real Colors, Mr. Paint, and Vallejo Model Air versions are very good, with Mr. Paint being probably the best for the three basic Euro I colors in a single brand. The new formula Gunze C309/H309 captures the tone well but is too light for my liking.

FS 34079 Forest Green: Described previously.

FS 36081 Dark Gunship Gray: Has very good availability and accurate matches throughout though strangely absent from the AK 3Gen (AK11024 Ash Grey, which has no FS match, is used as a substitute in its Euro I box set), AMMO by Mig, and Mission Models ranges.