All Types of Military Camouflage - The Camouflage Netting

Military Camouflage: Discover the latest models and their characteristics

Since ancient times, military camouflage has been used to protect and camouflage soldiers on the battlefield. And today, this concept has been perfected to provide powerful protection against enemies. With highly specialized models and various features, discover how military camouflage can blend perfectly into your environment or that of your armed forces.

What are the different types of military camouflage?

Armies around the world use military camouflage to conceal their soldiers and equipment during operations. The different types of military camouflage include the Woodland pattern, the MARPAT uniform, the beige and black desert dress and the gray and green French version. The Woodland pattern is a common camouflage pattern that has been used by the US military since the 1980s. It is made up of a mix of green and brown colors that match the texture of the woodland terrain. The MARPAT uniform is a camouflage outfit specifically designed for the United States military after the Gulf War in 1991. The modified and marked pattern is designed to blend into a variety of different ground environments. Tan and black desert dress is often used by British and American armed forces during operations deploying forces in arid terrain. Finally, the French version of green and gray camouflage has been specific to the French army since the Second World War.

How is military camouflage designed to blend into the environment with camouflage fabric?

Military camos are designed to blend in with the environment to be less visible to the enemy. These uniforms are designed with patterns that have been specially adapted to the visual characteristics of natural or urban environments. For example, the Woodland model features dark brown, light green and rust tones that blend well with a forest or rural landscape. MARPAT uniforms include a thin coat of thin horizontal stripes, which helps create a more complex texture instead of a seamless color, allowing for better concealment.

What is the main function of military camouflage used with a camouflage tarp?

The main function of military camouflage is clear: to hide soldiers, their weapons and their equipment from the enemy so that he cannot spot them or know where he is or where he is going. It can also be used to hide vehicles for greater discretion. Camouflaged uniforms can also give soldiers a sense of cohesion and help promote emotions such as camaraderie.

What characteristics should a good military camouflage paired with a camouflage sail have?

A good military camouflage must have specific characteristics for it to be effective. To be as effective as possible, military camouflage must be adapted to the environment and the conditions that could arise during a mission. For camouflage as close as possible to reality, you can opt for military camouflage nets . It should also be waterproof, breathable and able to hide in varying light. Materials used for military camouflage should be versatile and robust, able to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as snow, sand and rain. Finally, good camouflage gear should be easy to maintain and clean.

How to adapt the military camouflage outfit to various environments including the urban environment?

To adapt to the varied environments, it is important that the armies have a number of different models and patterns. Additionally, it is also important for armies to invest in advanced technologies in order to design camouflages that can be customized for each situation. For example, some armies have adopted technologies such as digital printers capable of applying a personalized design to an outfit or garment. In this way, soldiers can adopt a diverse and adaptable look depending on the circumstances.

There are several ways for soldiers to disguise themselves in order to avoid an encounter with hostile forces or to gain the element of surprise over them. The least effective disguise is a fake mustache. But among the most effective disguises is camouflage, the purpose of which is to make soldiers and equipment less visible to the enemy.

Traditionally, camouflage is a formulation of patterns and colors intended to make soldiers and equipment less visible to enemy eyes. As you will understand from reading this article, modern military camouflage works so well because it is based on long-established scientific precepts. Indeed, the science at this point is millennia old, but it's really only in the last hundred years that camouflage makers have gained a thorough understanding of the laws of physics and physiology that enable camouflage. remarkable range of camouflage patterns and colors now available to military forces around the world.

In a previous article, we discussed the different types of camouflage. In another article, we discussed the differences between camouflage patterns for hunting and those intended for military use. In this article, we will focus on the visual differences and inherent properties of patterns.

In short, camouflage is designed for a specific environment or task. We can further divide area of ​​effect into two sub-categories, the first being visual, the other non-visual.

Now let's look at military camouflage (or the technique of concealment, as it is better known today). It's not about the camouflage you can wear in the civilian world as a hunter or someone trying to be "tactical". But how is military camouflage "military"? And how ingeniously different must it be from civilian camouflage to be effective on today's battlefields?

Camouflage methods by visual concealment.

WHAT IS MILITARY CAMOUFLAGE?

What are the military colors?

The most common military colors are green, khaki, gray, navy, camouflage, and black. These colors are often used in military uniforms and equipment to blend in and protect against adversaries. There are also specific colors used by certain military branches, such as blue for the air force and red for military fire units.

What is military camouflage called?

Military camouflage is a pattern of colors that allows soldiers to blend in with their surroundings, in order to protect themselves against adversaries. There are several types of camouflage, such as woodland camouflage, desert camouflage, jungle camouflage, and urban camouflage. Each of these types of camouflage is designed to match a specific environment, to help soldiers camouflage themselves effectively. There are also digital camouflage or adaptive camouflage that adapt to different environments.

What is the color of the French army?

The traditional color of the French army is horizon blue, which is used for soldiers' uniforms. This color is inspired by the outfit of French soldiers in the First World War, which was horizon blue. There are also different colored uniforms for specific units like infantry units and cavalry units which have blue uniforms, air force personnel have blue-gray uniforms. There are also camouflage uniforms for specific missions.

The military often use green uniforms to blend in with their natural surroundings. Green is a common color in nature and is therefore used for camouflage in forests, jungles and woodlands. Green camouflage is known as woodland camouflage, which is used for camouflage in forests and wooded areas. There are also other types of camouflage like desert camouflage, which is used for camouflage in deserts and arid areas and jungle camouflage for green and wooded environments.

What is military camouflage called?

There are several types of military camouflage, each with a specific name that depends on the environment in which it is used. The most common types include:

• Woodland camouflage, used for camouflage in forests and wooded areas.
• Desert camouflage, used for camouflage in deserts and arid areas.
• Jungle Camouflage, used for camouflage in green and wooded environments.
• Urban Camouflage, used for camouflage in urban areas or built environments. There are also digital camouflages that are used by some armies and feature pixel patterns that allow blending into different environments.

What is the best military camouflage?

There is no absolute answer as to which military camouflage is "best", as it depends on the environment in which it is used. Each camouflage type was designed to effectively camouflage itself in a specific environment.

For wooded and green environments, woodland camouflage is considered one of the most effective, while for deserts and arid areas, desert camouflage is often used. In urban environments, urban camouflage is often used.

There are also adaptive camouflages which can adapt to different environments and which are used by certain army corps. It is important to note that camouflage does not guarantee total invisibility, it simply allows you to blend into the environment to reduce your visibility. The M81 woodland allows almost total concealment at a distance of 60 meters. The m81 woodland is part of the camouflage used in the world, in particular by the us army.

Who invented the camouflage pattern associated with military camouflage fabric?

Military camouflage was invented by artists and designers during the First World War. Artists and designers were recruited by armies to create camouflage patterns that would help soldiers camouflage themselves effectively into their surroundings. Early forms of camouflage were generally based on color patch patterns that mimic the natural environment. Artists and designers have continued to develop more sophisticated camouflage patterns over the years, using techniques such as color mixing and pattern layering to create more realistic designs. In particular the M81 woodland which remains a reference in the field of camouflage. The US army using it a lot, for example with these camouflage fabrics for men. The us army at the beginning of the 80s decided to develop camouflage models with geometric shapes of different colors. Associated with a ghillie outfit, the soldier can then easily avoid aerial reconnaissance and go completely unnoticed.

It is important to note that armies and military forces have also developed camouflages for their vehicles and equipment, it is difficult to name a specific person or company who invented military camouflage. Rather, it is a continuous process of evolution and refinement that has been carried out by different artists, designers, and servicemen.

What camouflage for hunting?

How to paint a military camouflage usable for hunting and how to make an effective military camouflage?

Military camouflage is any material or medium that can be used by armed forces to make it more difficult or, ideally, impossible to be seen from a distance by an opposing armed force before or during a tactical operation.

Military camouflage is unique in that the theaters and methods of detection shift from the natural to the artificial, moving from conventional patterns to the multi-spectral holy grail we all dream of.

WHERE DOES CAMOUFLAGE COME FROM?
The word camouflage is of French origin (the current word is camouflage) and the idea it conveys is that of taking something visible and making it invisible by making it look like something other than what it really is. .

For example, let's say you have an armored vehicle parked near a grove of trees. With the right camo, you can make the vehicle look less like a vehicle from a distance and more like something in the grove.

Oh wait. When you ask "Where does camouflage come from?", you don't mean etymologically. You mean industrially. Well, the type of camouflage made to be worn by soldiers comes from textile mills and other commodity producers who make camouflage fabrics that are sold by the bolt to garment makers like us. Camouflage patterns and colors are usually screen printed or sublimated onto the fabric before the garment is sewn.

DECEIVE THE ENEMY

Before continuing our discussion of military camouflage, we need to clarify what camouflage really is.

Military camouflage has a code name, MILDEC (short for "military deception"), which means that it is not just a type of material or a piece of equipment, but also a a strategy. In this case, the strategy we are talking about is the one employed to obtain advantages in a theater of war (or in several theatres).

Basically, camouflage is therefore any material designed to deceive the eyes of the enemy and prevent them from seeing you, your equipment or your hiding place.

If you need to conceal your position, camouflage is the perfect tool for the job.

If you need to go unnoticed just long enough to successfully ambush the enemy, again camouflage is the way to go.

And if you need to evade the enemy without them knowing you're nearby, camouflage will help you reach the relative safety of your own lines.

Military camouflage - Concamo

USEFUL FOR BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

In any offensive or defensive situation where you need to visually deceive the enemy in order to achieve a particular objective, camouflage is absolutely essential. Camouflage suited to the environment you are operating in can prevent the enemy from understanding what you are doing until it is too late to counter your movement.

In the past, the way troops, equipment, and structures were concealed required the use of natural materials. For example, to conceal an armored vehicle, it could be draped with tree branches. To hide, you could attach blades of grass to your solid olive-colored uniform.

This is no longer the case. Today, camouflage elements are the result of advanced technologies, painted, printed or woven.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND CAMOUFLAGE
Historical accounts of great military deceptions are legion. One of the best known is that of the Trojan horse. You remember (even though it happened centuries before you were born): Ancient Greece was at war with the fortified city-state of Troy. For 10 years the Greeks besieged easily defended Troy and were pinned down each time.

Tired of this situation, the Greeks eventually came up with a devious plan to penetrate the heavily fortified walls and overthrow the city. First step, the Greeks withdrew as if to say "we stop". Step Two: The Greeks, who seemed to be retreating, left behind a giant wooden horse on wheels in honor of the heroic defenders of the city. The Trojans cheered as the "gift" was carried inside the city.

That night, once the city was asleep, the commandos opened the secret trapdoor built into the horse and slipped outside to stealthily head for the gates of Troy. Once their objective had been achieved, the commandos would open the gates to allow a phalanx of Greek archers, chariots and infantry to storm the city and conquer it (see the literary classic Iliad and Odyssey, written c. AD).

Trojan horse deception is a concept discussed in The Art of War by Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. He enthusiastically endorsed it in the context of ensuring victory despite the numerical inferiority of the enemy.

There are countless other examples of deception in military history. However, to cut to the chase, deception has long been recognized as an effective means of turning the tide of battle.

Among the doctrines of deception adopted by the US military and its allies are three notable precepts.

THE MAGRUDER PRINCIPLE
According to this axiom, it is generally easier to induce a target to maintain a pre-existing belief than to deceive them in order to make them change their beliefs.

Magruder's principle was first used during Operation Mincemeat, a British ploy to cover up the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

JONES' DILEMMA
Jones' dilemma states that deception becomes more difficult as the number of channels of information available to the target increases, but also that the greater the number of channels controlled, the greater the likelihood that the deception will be believed. big.

This was demonstrated during the "Bodyguard" operation carried out before D-Day: the allies disseminated tons of misleading information to convince the Germans that the invasion of June 6, 1944 would not take place in Normandy, but far on the French coast.

AVOID WINDOW EFFECTS
According to the principle of avoiding deadweight, misleading information is less likely to be believed if it is easy to obtain.

It's a bit like today's get-rich-quick schemes, they're too good to be true.

THE MILDECS TODAY
You may be curious about the current operational MILDECs. The table below will give you a hint.

Looking closely at this chart, you will notice that there are two important dimensions of deception. These are the duration of the effect (indicated on the vertical axis) and the type of effort required to implement the method (indicated on the horizontal axis).

The issues most relevant to our discussion are those of concealment and camouflage. Are they different from each other? If so, how?

Concealment is the hiding of assets (i.e. people, vehicles, and equipment) using vegetation, tarps, and other means that prevent detection of the distinctive shapes of those assets.

Camouflage refers to the use of different shapes, materials, colors, and lighting to prevent detection of resources as they move. Also, camouflage is officially considered a subset of MILDEC due to its emphasis on deception.

CAMOUFLAGE AND TACTICAL CLOTHING

When it comes to tactical clothing, the color and pattern of camouflage selected should match the environment in which the garment will be worn. If one fails to get a correct match, performance will almost certainly be lower.

In the worst case, the wrong color and pattern can potentially make you more visible rather than less.

Ideally, if the color and pattern are appropriate for the environment, you should be able to position yourself a short distance from your target and most likely remain there, lying in wait or watching, for several days without being detected.

Unfortunately, no camouflage ever really matches the environment of your theater of operations perfectly. The locations you pass through during a mission can vary in geometry and color composition, a little or a lot every half kilometer in some cases.

Thus, camouflage that was effective at the start of the mission may become less effective as you progress through the environment. Of course, the reverse could just as well be true, with camouflage becoming more effective as you progress and rack up the miles.

HOW CAMOUFLAGE WORKS
The basic principles of visual camouflage are:

resemblance to the environment

Disruptive coloring

Shadow Elimination

Distraction

Self-decoration

counter shadow

When you look closely at a military camouflage, the first thing you'll probably notice is its pattern. Camouflage patterns consist of assorted colors and shapes in different sizes. They are the basic elements of concealment.

Humans are wired to notice these elements, whether the pattern is digital, pixelated, lizard, disruptive, universal, or otherwise. The underlying principles of camouflage take advantage of this wiring in order to achieve effective concealment.

It is also important to note that, in humans, the range of visible light is relatively short compared to the entire wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. For humans, visible light occupies the narrow spectral band of about 0.4 to 0.7 microns. On one side of the visible light is the invisible band of ultraviolet and on the other the equally invisible band of infrared (for the record, the heat produced by your body is thermal radiation and it is also an invisible band, which is in the 10 micron slice of the electromagnetic spectrum).

Here we have mentioned the visual principles of the most common types of camouflage. A breakdown of MultiCam's digital patterns can be found in this post. We also compared MultiCam to Scorpion W2 here.

The human visible spectrum

Above: an illustration representing the electromagnetic spectrum. Image source: wikipedia.com

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CAMOUFLAGE
Camouflage relies on three fundamental elements: environmental mimicry, color reproduction, and interference of eye-brain signals.

ENVIRONMENTAL MIMETICISM
Let's say you find yourself in front of a tree. To hide from an enemy trying to spot you, you can simply get behind the tree. Although this prevents your enemy from detecting you, the problem is that you can no longer watch the enemy for as long as you remain in this position.

Conversely, the easiest way to keep an eye out for bad guys is to keep standing in front of the tree. However, you won't be easily seen if the camouflage you wear consists of shapes of different sizes and shades that, from a distance, look identical to those of the tree's bark, branches, and leaves. This is what environmental mimicry is all about: the use of two-dimensional geometric objects arranged in a specific pattern to mimic the three-dimensionality of the environment in which you are or will be moving.

COLOR REPRODUCTION
It is not enough to imitate the forms of the environment. The camouflage must also faithfully reproduce the colors of the locality. For example, even if the shapes perfectly mimic those of a tree, it won't matter if the tree is a mixture of brown, green and black but the predominant camouflage color is fire. Therefore, it is vital that the camouflage correctly replicates the colors encountered in your theater of operations.

EYE-BRAIN SIGNAL INTERFERENCE
When enemy eyes seek you, the images produced by these optical organs are transmitted to the brain where they undergo a process of interpretation. Without camouflage, the enemy's brain will easily recognize your distant silhouette as that of a human and not that of a tree, for example. Conversely, with a camouflage, your body will not be easily recognized for what it is, because the brain is prevented from correctly interpreting the information transmitted by the eyes. However, disruption of the eye-brain signal is more pronounced when environmental mimicry and color reproduction are optimized.

Military Camouflage - Science

CAMOUFLAGE METHODS
You can use camouflage to basically do three things: disappear from sight, blend into your surroundings, or pretend to be something you're not.

DISAPPEARANCE
There will be times when you need to hide and avoid leaving even a hint of your presence. To achieve this, you should make maximum use of concealment materials other than what you wear in your uniform. For example, you can dig a wide and deep hiding place, then fix on the lid that you make to cover it a set of grasses, leaves and twigs collected in the immediate vicinity.

BLEND
Well-made camouflage can make you feel like part of the environment, as many birds and animals do in their natural habitat. Camouflage is especially useful when your task is to observe the enemy from a fixed position (it's much easier to blend in when you're stationary than when you're moving).

Conclusion

Military camouflage plays a crucial role in the battlefield and its main function is clear: to hide the soldier from the enemy. As we have seen in this article, there are many different types of camouflage that can adapt to different environments. The armed forces must therefore constantly innovate and invest in advanced technologies to be able to adapt their camouflage to each situation and guarantee the security and optimal protection of soldiers during operations.