All camouflage patterns: an immersion into the world of camouflage

Camouflage is a technique widely used for many years to blend into an environment and thus go unnoticed. There are several types of camouflage patterns, each with its own characteristics and advantages depending on the situations in which they are used. In this article, we invite you to discover the different existing camouflage patterns and their applications.

The origins of camouflage

The earliest traces of camouflage use date back to prehistoric times, when humans covered their bodies with paint or natural elements to blend into their surroundings while hunting. But it was truly during World War I that the technique developed, mainly to conceal troops and avoid enemy aerial reconnaissance. Since then, camouflage patterns have constantly evolved to adapt to new military needs and technologies.

Different types of camouflage patterns

The choice of a camouflage pattern mainly depends on the environment in which it will be used. Here are some examples of commonly used patterns:

• Woodland: This pattern is made up of leaves, branches, and green, brown, and black spots. It is ideal for forested or wooded environments.
• Desert: As its name suggests, this pattern is specially designed for desert areas. It consists of beige, brown, and gray spots to blend into the sandy landscape.
• Urban: Designed for urban areas, this pattern is characterized by geometric shapes and gray, black, and white colors that resemble buildings and concrete structures.
• Nieve: This camouflage is intended for snowy environments and mainly features white and gray shades to mimic snow and ice.
• Multicam: This versatile pattern was developed for use in a wide variety of environments. It combines several shapes and colors to offer optimal effectiveness across different types of terrain.

Camouflage patterns specific to different armies

Many countries have developed their own camouflage patterns to meet their specific concealment needs. Here are some notable examples:

French CCE (Camouflage Centre Europe) camouflage

The CCE is the standard camouflage pattern of the French army since 1991. It is inspired by the American Woodland pattern and consists of a set of green, brown, and black spots on a beige background. It is particularly suited to temperate European environments, such as forests, fields, or wetlands. It has recently evolved: see our full article.

British DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material) camouflage

The DPM is the historic pattern of the British armed forces. It exists in several variants, the best known being the "Woodland DPM," composed of irregular green, brown, and black shapes on a beige background. The DPM was replaced by the MTP (Multi-Terrain Pattern) in 2010, which combines features of Woodland and desert.

Russian Flora camouflage

The Flora pattern has been used by the Russian armed forces since the 1990s. It features green, brown, and black spots on a light beige background, similar to the French CCE. This pattern also comes in a desert version called "Caillou." New patterns have recently been developed to meet the specific needs of different Russian units.

Civilian applications of camouflage patterns

While camouflage patterns are mainly associated with the military field, they are also popular in the civilian world for various reasons:

• Hunting: Hunters use clothing and camouflage accessories to blend into their environment and avoid being spotted by wild animals.
• Airsoft and paintball: These recreational sports based on combat simulations also use camouflage patterns to add a touch of authenticity and enhance immersion.
• Fashion: Camouflage patterns have also conquered the fashion world and are often used in urban or streetwear outfits. It is not uncommon to see clothing and accessories in Woodland, Urban, or even Multicam pattern colors.

When it comes to military and tactical equipment, the subject of camouflage comes up sooner or later. One could go through all of human history, from hunting and daily survival to the long history of wars and conflicts. But when it comes to camouflage printed on uniforms, attention quickly focuses on the 20th and 21st centuries. That is why I want to mention some milestones in the history of camouflage, focusing on "Western" patterns.

If you are already familiar with the evolution of camouflage patterns and are interested in a specific part, you can access these sections by clicking the links below.

Families of camouflage patterns

Although several armies began using solid-colored uniforms in the 19th century due to the changing nature of warfare, only World War I made large-scale use of camouflage necessary.

CAMOUFLAGE IN THE 20TH/21ST CENTURY

 

The reasons lie in the conflict and its new technologies.

Aerial reconnaissance made it necessary to conceal installations and equipment, and due to new weapons systems (long-range rifles, machine guns), it was crucial to also "hide" the soldiers.

France had to learn this the hard way during the early phases of World War I, being the only country still using very visible uniforms.

But the French quickly learned and began employing artists and theater decorators to develop techniques to conceal everything from vehicles to buildings.

These people were called "camoufleurs," hence the widely used term "camouflage" today.

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They developed disruptive patterns and trained military units to use these approaches to conceal their equipment. This is how painted works and the first camouflage nets appeared.

Objects were not only hidden: the concept of mimicry (making something appear as something else) also allowed people to be deceived. Examples include papier-mâché heads used to attract enemy fire, or hollowed-out trees used to hide snipers.

Several scientists and artists are considered key figures in the history of camouflage and must be mentioned.

The British zoologist Hugh Cott and Sir Edward Poulton studied camouflage in nature.
The American painter Abbott Thayer introduced the concepts of counter-shading and disruptive coloration into the discourse.
Another name worth mentioning is Roland Penrose, a British painter who had a great influence during World War II (WW2).
And if some of these names ring a bell, Penrose and Cott are the origin of the current PenCott family name from Hyde Definition. But let’s get back to our original timeline.

The PenCott GreenZone camouflage pattern.

The interwar period was marked by the production of camouflage prints on fabric.

First came the Italian "M1929 Telo Mimetico," then the German "Buntfarbenmuster 31," also called "Splittertarn." These fabrics were actually printed on halves of shelters and provided basic camouflage when worn as ponchos.

It was only during World War II that industrial printing of camouflage fabrics and the manufacture of widely distributed uniforms became the norm.

At first, these uniforms were reserved for elite troops, such as paratroopers, and later for the rest of the military branches. The Waffen-SS, in particular, was equipped with several different models, all designed by Johann Georg Otto Schick, an art professor based in Munich.

The American forces mainly used camouflage in the Pacific theater, as their Frogskin/Duck Hunter pattern was confused with enemy SS forces on European battlefields.

World War II also laid the foundations for many upcoming camouflage patterns. The British Brushstroke pattern, used on the famous Denison smock, can still be found in many variants today.

And the name says it all: the original pattern was literally painted on smocks with brushes, thus creating a variety of unique jackets.

A good enough reason to take a look at the genealogical trees of camouflage history.

THE FAMILIES OF CAMOUFLAGE PATTERNS

There are more than 10 families of camouflage patterns. "Roughly," because it’s a matter of discussion, perspective, and region.

Nowadays, a multitude of designers are currently creating hundreds of patterns, most of which we have probably never heard of.

BRUSHSTROKE

One of the grandfathers of camouflage.

First used by the United Kingdom, it quickly influenced other countries like Belgium and France (the lizard pattern) to create their own versions of this pattern in the 1950s and 1960s.

It is still used in countries like Pakistan or Zimbabwe (which inherited it from Rhodesia).

CHOCOLATE CHIP

Officially called "Six Colour Desert," it became widely known thanks to the American Gulf War, just like the more subtle "Three Colour Desert" version.

It became so popular that it is still used by various Middle Eastern countries in different variants.

DPM

The British "Disruptive Pattern Material."

Just like the M81 Woodland, it became one of the most widely used camouflage patterns in a variety of copies and color schemes.

DIGITAL PATTERNS

Digital patterns are not necessarily pixelated camouflage patterns—a very common misconception! In fact, digital patterns are those based on computers and algorithms.

Pixelated patterns existed long before Canada began issuing pixelated uniforms in the late 1990s.

The USMC followed this example and created MARPAT in 2001. But while CADPAT or MARPAT can be digitally designed, the same goes for Vegetato, Multicam, etc.

DUCK HUNTER

One of the lesser-known patterns in Europe, it originates from the American M1942 camouflage of World War II. Mainly used during the Pacific War, its descendants can be found in Asia, as well as in Latin America and South America. The Australian DPCU is also considered a "relative."

FLECKTARN

The result of the Bundeswehr's Truppenversuch 76, this pattern is not only a registered trademark of Germany but also gave rise to several similar patterns in Belgium, China, Denmark, and Poland.

LEAF

In 1948, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratory created the ERDL pattern, which is not only synonymous with the Vietnam War but also influenced several other patterns.

A 60% enlarged version became the M81 Woodland, and other countries use it in one way or another.

PUZZLE

 

These patterns are quite unique, especially considering that several of them appeared independently during the 20th century. Starting with Belgium, but also the Philippines and Yugoslavia.

RAIN

The graphic element of the "rain" was originally inherent to German World War II patterns, mimicking grass.

Later, Warsaw Pact countries used vertical lines on solid colors, creating very effective visual noise against night vision devices.

SPLITTER

Although the Splittertarn pattern is closely associated with World War II, it is still widely used.

Switzerland used it until 1955, but it was also the initial camouflage of the German Bundeswehr and Bundesgrenzschutz. There are several variants in Bulgaria, and the Swedish M90 is the most modern variant today.

TIGERSTRIPE

A cousin of Brushstroke, it is inspired by the French Lizard pattern. Quickly becoming a pattern in its own right, it is found in various jungle environments.

PATTERNS DEVELOPED AT THE NATIONAL AND CIVIL LEVEL

In the early 2000s, a new phase of camouflage development began, not only in terms of pixelated patterns but also regarding the approach to camouflage itself.

The US Army's Natick laboratories partnered with Crye Precision (CP) to develop a universal pattern suitable for different environments and vegetation zones.

The result of this cooperation was the "Scorpion" pattern. However, tests on US Army uniforms in 2004 resulted in a different pattern: a recolored version of the pixelated MARPAT pattern, called Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP).

Crye Precision decided to continue developing Scorpion and market it under the name Multicam.

In conservative military circles, Multicam was initially ridiculed as "airsoft camouflage," but US Army soldiers quickly learned to appreciate it when it was used in Afghanistan, where the UCP pattern performed so poorly it was even considered dangerous.

Following these reactions, the US Army launched the Camouflage Improvement Effort (CIE), so that in the initial phases, Multicam was used exclusively during the Afghanistan campaign.

The final phase of the CIE changed everything.

It issued a call for a new family of camouflage, designed for arid, transitional, and wooded/jungle environments.

Needless to say, this triggered a "gold rush" for designers. Suddenly, several companies began participating in the bidding or capitalizing on the new camouflage market.

Finally, four companies were chosen to supply fabric for further testing: Crye Precision, ADS/Hyperstealth, Brookwood, and Kryptek.

Crye was retained (no pun intended), but the contract finalization was halted due to licensing rights for the print.

As a result, the US Army returned to the original Scorpion model and did the same as Crye: modified it just enough to avoid legal repercussions. The Scorpion W2 was born.





CURRENT STATUS QUO

The gold rush mentioned earlier is now over.

And even though new camouflage patterns with different approaches are still entering the market, the current dominance of Multicam and its derivatives is uninterrupted.

In fact, just in terms of popularity and widespread use, it could be compared to the M81 Woodland.

The color palette and overall look of Multicam have become the new standard within NATO forces. Even the Russian special forces community is adopting the pattern.

The future holds different challenges based on technology.

Ground radars and hyperspectral technologies like infrared force modern armies to rethink camouflage. In the long term, smart materials will become easier to produce and widely available.

For example, Guy Cramer has finally opened up on the subject: Guy Cramer has finally revealed his Quantum Stealth technology, which uses layers of lenses of different shapes to bend light around objects.

While this technology is mainly intended to conceal larger infrastructures and objects, other scientists are working on smart fabrics that use optical, electrical, and magnetic properties to change color, while being able to evade hyperspectral devices.

Ground radars and hyperspectral technologies like infrared force modern armies to rethink camouflage.

CONCLUSION

The past hundred years have been very eventful regarding camouflage. Some patterns are emblematic of certain wars and are deeply ingrained in our cultural memory.

Moreover, new developments are often the result of the evolving nature of warfare or the technology itself.

The current development of hyperspectral devices is evidence of this.

Operations have evolved towards highly specialized night missions and asymmetric threats. The widespread availability of low-cost drones does not make things easier.

Camouflage enthusiasts will not be disappointed in the years to come, as many exciting developments are on the horizon.