Digital Camouflage

[shouldazagged]

I need to do some reading on this; but I'm very tired tonight, so I'll throw out a two-part question to you guys.

What is the stated theory behind the digital camo worn by our military personnel these days? And more importantly, how well does it work?

I'm old-school, and have used nothing later than some late WWII surplus and woodland patterns and a little very early Realtree stuff. It always seemed to me that a more contrasty design that would break up the human outline was what worked best. I always wondered how effective the Vietnam-era tiger stripe pattern worked--looked as if it would be pretty good in jungle conditions.

For the life of me I can't see how the digital camo works, especially when it has some wear and fading.

I've read claims that in fact it doesn't work well, and if true that concerns me for our people in combat.

What's your experience and/or opinion?

 

[Rastoff]

Real camouflage depends on the area where you will be. The main key is breaking up the human outline. With that in mind, no piece of clothing is going to be that effective.

However, I was driving down a road on Edwards AFB one day when I noticed something different. There was a Marine standing on the side of the road all alone. That seemed odd and I was about to stop to see if he needed help when I noticed about 10 others sitting on the ground. I honestly didn't notice them until I was right next to them. So, at least where I work, the MARPAT design is quite good to hide from the casual observer.

 

[11B Lifer]

No

The reason snipers use things such as gilly suits (my bad on sp) is that breaking up a silhouette is effective-as part of that you can color facial features disguise the facial outline-make high points fade and low points surface-
Wear what you wear for bow or Turkey season-go into a position and ask your spouse if you can be seen-Movement and the human outline are hard to hide-
We change uniforms in a whimsical fashion-Shinseki put our troops in berets-During my career we changed uniforms 5 times-
So, no the digital stuff does very little to conceal.

 

[islamoradamark]

i was told digital helps hide u from use from night vision dont know if that is a fact or not dont hold me to it

 

[Nico Testosteros]

The Army digital pattern is virtually the same as the Marines' but the colors are different, obviously. It's widely realized that the colors of the Army uniform don't work very well in most instances, hence the Army's adoption of Multicam for use in Afghanistan.

 

[gdnagle]

I had a camo jacket one time. I set it down and never did find it again. But for your reading pleasure when you feel like reading again try this.
U.S. Army Camouflage Improvement Explained

The Science of Digital Camouflage Design

Or could this be the next uniform? Adaptive Camouflage and Invisibility

MILITARY TECHNOLOGY: Adaptive Camouflage and Invisibility

 

[Hapworth]

Digital camo is largely a bust and last I read is set to be phased out.

 

[Jessie]

It's in preparation for the robotic soldier which is coming. Digital camo works great for sneaking up on robots.

 

[FishingPilot]

Digital Camo was being tested in my last few years in the Marines. I received a digital camo parka to wear around the airfield one night to help test. I was told it was supposed to make it more difficult to see with night vision scopes. The color? A dark green tinge with some black blocks mixed in. It looked nothing like the digital camo of today. I think I still have it in an old sea bag with my uniforms.

 

[Hapworth]

How about sailors are forced to wear digital camo in blue -- the one color you don't want to wear if you fall in the drink...

 

[therevjay]

Digital Camo was being tested in my last few years in the Marines. I received a digital camo parka to wear around the airfield one night to help test. I was told it was supposed to make it more difficult to see with night vision scopes. The color? A dark green tinge with some black blocks mixed in. It looked nothing like the digital camo of today. I think I still have it in an old sea bag with my uniforms.

It actually worked pretty good. Before I retired I had a chance to see one of our officers wearing one of those through NVG's. He blended in with the background pretty well.

I was shocked at how our "Gortex" replacements for the old field jackets looked like through NVG's. They stood out like "Day-Glo".

 

[Rastoff]

You can't correlate color with infra red night vision equipment. The material has low thermal properties and it has nothing to do with color.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Digital camo is most usefull for the computer commandos. For instance-I'm wearing it now and I bet you can't see me.

 

[sipowicz]

Digital camo means you will have a better reception when you return.

 

[A10]

Here is a picture of me wearing my forum camo.......

 

[shouldazagged]

Digital camo means you will have a better reception when you return.

Dang, Sip, that's strange even by your standards!

But here's hoping they all get good receptions when they return.

 

[Autococker07]

The MARPAT is pretty decent, and as soon as the Marines got a "distinctive" uniform the Army, AF, and Navy just had to jump on the bandwagon..... sigh... millions wasted.... I wonder what the OPR Bullet statements looked like???

Spearheaded 4.5M Digicam pgm during contingency ops; 500k lives saved
Hard charger; Foisted 7 lyr uniform 50k deployers AF Distinction ensured
Air Power; Provided more types uniform than any other modern armd force

I'm pretty sure some folks got stars because of it, but my last deployment we carried 3 (three) different sets of uniforms with us.... plus flight suits.... insanity indeed.....

 

[Seneca]

We ( the taxpayers ) have spent a boatload of money on this camo issue over the past dozen years and still nobody agrees on what works and what doesn't. Just go back to the OD stuff and get on with it. Besides, just as they spend another billion or so for the " right " pattern, we'll end up with a war in the arctic and need to spend another billion on digital white!!

 

[Gunslinger808]

Digital Camo was being tested in my last few years in the Marines. I received a digital camo parka to wear around the airfield one night to help test. I was told it was supposed to make it more difficult to see with night vision scopes. The color? A dark green tinge with some black blocks mixed in. It looked nothing like the digital camo of today. I think I still have it in an old sea bag with my uniforms.

I still have a set from Desert Storm.
The old Grid and Splotch poncho and overpants, it worked (sort of) against older NVDs with IR illuminators, not so much against later generations.
We found the old Chocolate Chip pattern worked better in a stationary target.