Moscow, Dec 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti): The Russian Air Force will next year abandon its grey camouflage colouring and use several new colour patterns for its warplanes, a source in the Russian defence ministry said Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Izvestia reported that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has reversed the order of his predecessor Anatoly Serdyukov to repaint all warplanes only using different shades of grey.

Starting next year a variety of colours will be used depending on the terrain around the airbases.

"Indeed, such a decision has been made. In the past, air force aircraft were painted different colours but when Serdyukov became (defence) minister that procedure was abolished and aircraft began to be painted gray," the ministry source told RIA Novosti.

Not all warplanes will be repainted, he added, only new aircraft and those that have undergone major repairs.

The exact colour patterns or the number of patterns are a closely guarded secret, Izvestia said, adding that possible colours will include green, sandy, dark blue and white.

Serdyukov decided to borrow a page from the US Air Force which adopted a uniform aircraft colour scheme in the 1970s to eliminate the need for repainting every time a warplane changes its base.

The decision was made without consultations with experts or approval from the defence ministry's research centres.

It costs up to 300,000 rubles ($10,000) to repaint one plane and it will take three to four years to repaint all of Russia's warplanes.