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Uncover your potential', indeed! Once you stop ogling the girl, though, you might notice that this Australian Special Air Service (SAS) recruiting poster shows Australian Disruptive Pattern Camouflage to very good effect. [Image courtesy Brad Turner collection.]

Universal Camouflage Pattern
United States of America

In 2004, the U.S. Army finally unveiled a new uniform, the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). Set to become the standard issue for all deployed troops by April 2005, the ACU featured its own distinctive digital camouflage pattern, which was originally designated ARPAT™.

The ARPAT™ prototype had a distinctly bluish colour cast. However, based upon feedback received after extensive trials, the U.S. Department of Defense made minor changes to ARPAT™, which resulted in this three-colour camouflage pattern. It comprises aliased blocks of olive grey, light brownish grey and light greyish yellowish brown, and is distinguished by the conspicuous absence of black.

When questioned about the elimination of black from the design, Sgt 1st Class Jeff Myhre, the Clothing and Individual Equipment noncommissioned officer in charge, stated that black is no longer useful in camouflage because it is not commonly found in nature. Sgt Myhre added that black immediately catches the eye.

This claim is disputed by Guy Cramer, of Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp., who personally has designed more than 200 distinct digital patterns for government and defense contractors. Mr Cramer agrees that black is not a naturally occurring colour, but observes that it is a colour that is perceived as depth. In his analysis, 'New digital U.S. Army Combat Uniform eliminates black in pattern', Mr Cramer continues, to say that, while experimenting with greys in place of black, his design team noticed a critical loss of depth in their patterns.

However, the controversy around Universal Camouflage Pattern does not end here. Upon its debut, ARPAT™ was widely claimed to be a three-colour adaptation of the digital MARPAT™ print, which is used by the United States Marine Corps. Whether or not this is really the case, Cramer, in his online article 'Who did it first: Canada or the U.S.?', has demonstrated conclusively that ARPAT™ is actually a copy of Canada's digital CADPAT™ camouflage pattern, with light greyish yellowish brown in place of black, light brownish grey in place of dark greenish yellow and greyish yellowish brown, and olive grey in place of moderate olive. Reportedly the Canadian government shared its camouflage with the United States under a bilateral military exchange agreement.

kamouflage.net is grateful to Damien Ewin and Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp., for their invaluable contributions to this article.

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