Understanding Camouflage: The 7 Distinct Patterns To Know
Military camouflage is the use of camouflage by a military force to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. In practice, this means applying color and materials to military equipment of all kinds, including vehicles, ships, aircraft, gun positions and battledress, either to conceal it from observation or to make it appear as something else.
Here are some of the most popular and modern camouflage patterns used today in order from oldest to newest.
TIGERSTRIPE CAMOUFLAGE
Tigerstripe is the name of a group of camouflage patterns developed for close-range use in dense jungle during jungle warfare by the South Vietnamese Armed Forces and adopted by US Special Forces during the Vietnam War.
During and following the Vietnam war the pattern was adopted by several other Asian countries. It derives its name from its resemblance to a tiger’s stripes and were simply called “tigers.” It features narrow stripes that look like brush-strokes of green and brown, and broader brush-strokes of black printed over a lighter shade of olive or khaki.
The brush-strokes interlock rather than overlap, as in French Lizard pattern (TAP47) from which it apparently derives.
WOODLAND CAMOUFLAGE
The Woodland Pattern was the default camouflage pattern issued to United States soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors from 1981, with the issue of the Battle Dress Uniform, until its replacement around 2006. It is a four color, high contrast disruptive pattern with irregular markings in sand, brown, green and black.
Desert Camouflage Uniform/Desert Battle Dress Uniform
The Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) is an American arid-environment camouflage uniform used by the United States Armed Forces. In terms of pattern and cut, it is nearly identical to the U.S. military’s Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) uniform, but features a three-color desert camouflage pattern of dark brown, pale green, and beige, as opposed to the beige, pale green, two tones of brown, and black and white rock spots of the previous Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU).
First issued in very limited quantity in 1990 as experimental test patterns, the DCU and its camouflage scheme, officially known as the Desert Camouflage Pattern, and also known as “coffee stain camouflage”, was developed to replace the six-color desert camouflage “chocolate-chip camouflage” uniform, which was deemed unsuitable for most desert combat theaters. As opposed to the original six-color DBDU, which was meant for a rockier and elevated desert battlefield that was often not encountered, the DCU was created primarily for a lower, more open, and less rocky desert battlefield space which became a common sight throughout the Persian Gulf War.
MARPAT [Marine Pattern]
MARPAT (short for Marine pattern) is a digital camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, designed by Timothy O’Neill and introduced with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU), which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform. Its design and concept are based on the Canadian CADPAT pattern. The pattern is formed of small rectangular pixels of color. In theory, it is a far more effective camouflage than standard uniform patterns because it mimics the dappled textures and rough boundaries found in natural settings. It is also known as the “digital pattern” or “digi-cammies” because of its micropattern (pixels) rather than the old macropattern (big blobs).
MARPAT was also chosen because it distinctively identifies its wearers as Marines to their adversaries, while simultaneously helping its wearers remain concealed. This was demonstrated by a Marine spokesman at the launch of MARPAT, who stated: “We want to be instantly recognized as a force to be reckoned with. We want them to see us coming a mile away in our new uniforms.” As such, the US Marine Corps restricts use of the camouflage, preventing its use in most other divisions of the United States military.
Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP)/ACUPAT (Army Combat Uniform Pattern)
The Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP), also referred to as ACUPAT (Army Combat Uniform Pattern) or Digital Camouflage (digicam), is the military camouflage pattern used in the United States Army’s Army Combat Uniform. The pattern was chosen after several laboratory and field tests that occurred from 2003 to 2004, although it has been established that UCP may well have been adopted without field testing against other patterns. Its pixelated pattern is a modification of the United States Marine Corps’ MARPAT camouflage pattern.
The effectiveness of the pattern was questioned, leading to several research programs being conducted to modify or replace the current standard issue pattern. In July 2014, the Army announced that Scorpion W2 had been selected as the replacement pattern, and will completely replace the former pattern by the end of September 2019.
Navy Working Uniform
Based on the U.S. Marine Corps’s MARPAT Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform, with multiple pockets on the shirt and trousers, it uses a multi-color digital print pattern similar to those introduced by other services. However, the NWU is made in three variants: Type I, predominantly blue with some gray for the majority of sailors, originally developed for shipboard use; Type II, a desert digital pattern currently restricted to SEALs and other Sailors assigned to Naval Special Warfare Units when in desert environments; and Type III, a woodland digital pattern for sailors in expeditionary units (not shipboard) such as Seabees and Riverine units. Both camouflage patterns are similar to MARPAT.
The overall blue color reflects the Navy’s heritage and connection to seaborne operations. The pixelated pattern is also used to hide wear and stains, something unavoidable with the utilities and working khakis used previously. The colors were also chosen to match the most commonly used paint colors aboard ship, extending the lifetime of the uniform on long deployments where uniforms often come into contact with freshly painted surfaces. As of 2012, the uniform is authorized for wear outside of military installation.
MultiCam Camouflage
The MultiCam® pattern was developed to effectively limit the visual and near-IR signature of a person operating across a very wide range of physical environments and seasons. After many successful evaluations, after being proven in combat, and after becoming the officially issued pattern of the US Army for all Afghanistan operations in 2010, MultiCam® is the proven multi-environment concealment solution.
The MultiCam pattern has 4 varents, MultiCam Arid™ for desert ops, MultiCam Tropic™ for jungle environments, These two patterns palette compliments and overlaps portions of the main MultiCam® pattern; so pairing MultiCam® gear with MultiCam Arid™ or MultiCam Tropic™ apparel results in a well-coordinated concealment system.
MultiCam Alpine™ was developed to be used in every area of operation that receives significant snowfall. The MultiCam Alpine™ pattern can be paired with MultiCam® gear as needed to appropriately match the overall level of snow cover present.
The MultiCam Black™ pattern was developed to meet the unique requirements of law enforcement officers operating in high-risk environments.
This pattern projects a distinctly authoritative presence appropriate for domestic operations. MultiCam Black™ is designed to complement an officer’s existing equipment and present a sharp, professional image for top-tier law enforcement units.
There are many other Camouflage patterns out there, but I think these are the most common, most effective, and most widely used. To see multiple camouflage and tactical clothing options click the link below. Thanks for reading!
