Soldiers Could Go Reptilian with New Camo

Crusader74

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http://www.military.com/daily-news/...d-go-reptilian-with-new-camo.html?ESRC=dod.nl
kryptec-2-ts200.jpg

This month, soldiers will begin testing a camouflage pattern that looks more like reptile scales than terrain as part of the field-trial portion of the Army’s camouflage improvement effort.

The start of the field evaluation comes five months after Army uniform officials announced the finalists that had emerged from the service’s exhaustive Phase IV Camouflage Improvement effort. A handful of vendors were awarded contracts to make camouflage-patterned material for uniforms and equipment. Ultimately, the winner’s pattern could end up replacing the Army’s embattled Universal Camouflage Pattern, known as UCP, which was adopted in 2004.

Last fall, Army uniform officials completed tests that involved 900 soldiers taking a digital picture survey of camouflage patterns under consideration. The computerized survey had soldiers look at dozens of camouflage patterns and then rate their concealment performance.


Four commercial patterns emerged. One of the companies chosen is Crye Precision LLC of Brooklyn, N.Y. Crye invented MultiCam, a camouflage pattern that the Army chose in early 2010 to replace UCP in Afghanistan. ADS, Inc., teamed with Hyperstealth, Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va., and Brookwood Companies, Inc of New York, N.Y., were also chosen.
One of more unusual patterns chosen is made by Kryptek, Inc. of Fairbanks, Alaska. It consists of interlocking shapes that resemble a reptile’s scales, a look that has proven highly effective despite its non-traditional appearance, uniform officials say.

In March, the Army decided to drop the fifth finalist -- which was a government pattern developed at U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Mass. The pattern was too similar to one of the industry submissions, which scored higher in the initial evaluation, uniform officials said.


Natick officials would not release details of its pattern, but experts say it was likely from the Scorpion effort, a pattern developed by Crye Precision that’s very similar to MultiCam. So far Crye officials have refused to reveal details about the pattern selected for Army evaluation.
Each finalist submitted a family of camouflage patterns for desert, woodland, and transitional along with a single coordinated pattern for individual equipment such as body armor and load-bearing gear so soldiers wouldn’t have to change their kit from one environment to the next. In the past, special-operations units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment have worn equipment in a shade known as “Ranger green.” And Marines chose coyote brown to wear with its woodland and desert camo uniforms.
Soldiers will begin to evaluate each of the patterns sometime in June in field trials that could take up to nine months to complete, said Debi Dawson, a spokesman for Program Executive Office Soldier. The Army will then conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether to adopt a new camouflage pattern.


The Army launched the camouflage effort in response to a June 2009 inquiry by Pennsylvania's Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who was then chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Murtha pushed the service to look for a better camouflage pattern after receiving complaints from sergeants about the UCP's poor performance in the warzone.
Murtha died in 2010, but his directive prompted the Army to launch a multi-phase camouflage effort. Many patterns were evaluated in Afghanistan, but MultiCam was the clear winner for the country’s multi-terrain environment. Interestingly enough, MultiCam outperformed UCP in two previous Natick studies, one completed in 2009 and another in 2006.
 
With the majority of troops supposedly being pulled in 2014...is there really a need for new camo?
 
For fuck's sake. This is the best way to utilize defense funding right now? The military's always gotta be fucking with some shit just to look busy.
 
What the hell, we're getting ANOTHER uniform pattern?? Weren't we going to multicam? And what was wrong with BDU/DCU?
 
What the hell, we're getting ANOTHER uniform pattern?? Weren't we going to multicam? And what was wrong with BDU/DCU?


My understanding was that Congress forced te Army to adopt multicm for a'stan and the Army spat the dummy and therefore refused to adopt it as it's replacement for ACU. IIRC they earmarked something like 10 million for the new cam development.
Criminally absurd and wasteful, someone needs to be held to the fire for this.
We have a perfectly good cam with multicam. A large part of the Army has been outfitted with it already. No reason not to keep it.
 
My understanding was that Congress forced te Army to adopt multicm for a'stan and the Army spat the dummy and therefore refused to adopt it as it's replacement for ACU. IIRC they earmarked something like 10 million for the new cam development.
Criminally absurd and wasteful, someone needs to be held to the fire for this.
We have a perfectly good cam with multicam. A large part of the Army has been outfitted with it already. No reason not to keep it.
Army funding helped create MC, which is why I don't understand the opposition to MC.
 
Army funding helped create MC, which is why I don't understand the opposition to MC.

Because NATICK can't take credit for MC. I agree with Pardus (scary thought there) that someone (Senior Army personnel who had their hands in the project) need to be held accountable for the entire UCP debacle as well as the misappropriation of money for this current venture. I am also believe the people who decided to go to the ASU while we are at war should have been fired for at a minimum being out of touch with what the Army needed...
 
That Kryptek pattern is called "Nomad" and uses 3D Tech...

kryptekcamouflage.jpg

Science and shadows
Kryptek's example of 3-D layering features two levels: shading in the background and sharp random shapes in the foreground.
A light-reflecting gradient helps creates a three-dimensional illusion that blends into natural terrain.


 
This is ridiculous. I can't believe the amount of time and money that has been wasted on Army uniforms since I've been in, especially the beret and the ACUs. The SECDEF should issue a directive that there will be ONE common ground uniform throughout the services. If it needs to be done in different patterns to allow for terrain (BDU/DCU model) fine. But ONE expenditure for R&D, ONE uniform put through the acquisition process, and ONE uniform in the supply system.
 
This is ridiculous. I can't believe the amount of time and money that has been wasted on Army uniforms since I've been in, especially the beret and the ACUs. The SECDEF should issue a directive that there will be ONE common ground uniform throughout the services. If it needs to be done in different patterns to allow for terrain (BDU/DCU model) fine. But ONE expenditure for R&D, ONE uniform put through the acquisition process, and ONE uniform in the supply system.
Marines would never go for it.
 
We are getting new Dress White, Dress Blues, (optional) foul weather NWU trousers, name tapes for the sleeve pocket on our NWU parkas, (Chiefs and Os) get new Khakis, riggers belts, some rates have already been authorized/are wearing Guacamoles...
 
Marines would never go for it.

They went for BDUs (eventually) and if I were SECDEF, they'd be in CGU whether they wanted to or not. In fact, it would probably look a lot like MARPAT, without the parochial insignia.
 
They went for BDUs (eventually) and if I were SECDEF, they'd be in CGU whether they wanted to or not. In fact, it would probably look a lot like MARPAT, without the parochial insignia.

Correct, they wore BDU's; then went into MAPAT so they would look different. That started the whole fashion show,
 
Correct, they wore BDU's; then went into MAPAT so they would look different. That started the whole fashion show,

I agree. Whomever was SECDEF at that time should never have allowed that to happen.
 
Correct, they wore BDU's; then went into MAPAT so they would look different. That started the whole fashion show,

I really lay the blame for that on the Army, they got a case of small dick syndrome which affects normal thought processes and we ended up with ACU as a result. Everyone followed suit with retard patterns. I don't have a problem with services having a different pattern uniform, I do see very valid reasons for one combat pattern for all though.


And a lighter more breathable material...

The brits had an excellent jungle pattern uniform in the 80's - 90's that was a light weight cotton material, it dried very rapidly and was extraordinarily comfortable to wear. A lot of guys wore it even in cold temps for its drying properties. Great idea. I love my SAS windproof smock, best fighting jacket ever made.
 
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