| | Camo Patterns | The coloration, style, and pattern of camouflage has
evolved over it's many years of use. Each generation
of camouflage pattern, with the exception of a few
failures, is more effective at concealment that the
pattern it replaces. These patterns have been evolving
since the inception of camouflage itself.
As camouflage must be colored and patterned
specifically for it's area of intended use, it stands
to reason that there are many different patterns. The
"scrambled egg" type pattern utilized by Egypt differs
greatly from the "palm frond" pattern used by Indian
forces. While some nations have developed patterns
specifically designed to blend in in their specific
region, still others use a pattern developed by United
States military that is suitable for the terrain in
their country. The United States military currently
utilizes five different patterns. These patterns are a
result of careful design as well as years of field
testing.
In the years since world war two, many different
military camouflage patterns have been used and subsequently
scrapped as soon as a more effective pattern is
discovered. For example: The Desert Battle Dress
Uniform which is commonly known as "cookie dough
camouflage" was developed in the nineteen sixties for
use in the middle east. When it was finally used in
the Gulf War, it was discovered that the black spots
which cave the pattern it's chocolate chip appearance,
also increased contrast, and made the pattern
ineffective. As a result, it was replaced in the late
nineties with the desert camouflage used in the
two-thousand-three invasion of Iraq.
The newest pattern to be utilized by the United States
is called MARPAT, which is short for "Marine
Disruptive Pattern. This next-generation camouflage
pattern uses a pixel system to imitate the surrounding
environment. It is currently in use by United States
forces in Iraq. |
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