Animals are experts in hiding because they have this instinct to save themselves from danger. Do you know the types and colors that are included in the camouflage patterns? The military also uses camouflage colors and patterns when they are on missions. So let us today learn about the different colors of camouflage and military camouflage patterns.
A. Define Camouflage
Any combination of colors, illumination, or materials to conceal is known as camouflage. This kind of pattern does not completely hide but makes the object hard to locate in the surroundings. Examples of camouflage colors and patterns are the spotted coat of leopard, the battledress of soldiers, chameleons, etc. (See What color is camouflage?)
B. Camouflage in Animals
Cryptic coloration, another name for camouflage, is a form of defense tactic for animals. They use it to hide their location, identity, and movement. This helps them in sneaking away from the predators. Their camouflage depends on the fur, feathers, or scales. The animals with fur have different colored fur in different seasons. For example, an arctic fox’s winter fur is white and summer fur is brown. (See Why Are Pink Dolphins Pink?)
C. Animals in Different Colors of Camouflage
Animals in the jungle are masters of camouflage because you would not be able to locate them in the wild. Parakeets on trees are hardly visible because their green color mixed in with the leaves and woodcocks (birds) are brown and they match the brown forest floor. The color of animals helps them to camouflage themselves in their surroundings. Examples of such animals are:
- Chameleon,
- Crab Spiders.
- Golden Tortoise Beetle,
- Mimic Octopus.
- Flounders,
- Cuttlefish, and
- Pacific Tree Frog. Also, check out 10 types of dart frogs.
D. Types of Camouflage Colors
Camouflage can be done by adapting the surrounding colors and patterns. But brown, army green, and gray are the most common colors of camouflage that are used. (See What is a Theme in Art?)
E. Types of Military Camouflage Patterns
In the process of knowing about camouflage colors and patterns, take a look at the military camouflage patterns too. The battledress of different countries has different camouflage patterns. Here I have mentioned the list of military camouflage patterns so that you can have a complete idea of camouflage colors and patterns. (See What Colors Make Black?)
1. ACU Universal Camouflage Pattern
This pattern of The Army Combat Uniform’s Universal Camouflage Pattern, also known as ACUPAT, is one of the most debatable and revolutionary of all times. It helps against soldier detection and night vision detection units. (See What does Orange and Green make?)
2. Canadian Disruptive Pattern (CADPAT)
It was the first computer generalized camouflage pattern in 1988. It has a pixilated design in shades of green and dark blue. Canadian armed forces use this pattern and it is available in four color schemes to be used in different field conditions. Must read Plague Doctor Suit meaning.
3. Desert Night Camouflage
It was introduced in the 1990s and was the first digital camouflage as a dual-colored pixilated pattern among the camouflage colors and patterns. It was the first battledress designed in this way to deter the night visions of enemy vehicles. (See Is White or Black really a Colour?)
4. Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU)
This pattern for uniforms was originally designed in 1962 with a distinct chocolate-chip pattern in shades of brown and tan. It gets blended easily with the uneven and rocky desert environment. (See What Color does Red and Purple Make?)
5. Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU)
This uniform is inspired by the Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU) pattern and came into use in the 1990s. The pattern used shades of brown and tan with some elements of green to disrupt the outline of the wearer. It is designed for open and flat desert battlefields. (See What are the top 10 favorite colors?)
6. Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM)
This woodland and desert patterned camouflage was used by British forces from the 1960s to 2011. It shows a form of pattern disruption. This pattern makes the outline of the wearer difficult to spot. It used shades of brown, dark blue, and shades of green in leafy patterns.
7. EMR Digital Flora
It is also one of the Russian patterns that were first used in 1998. In terms of the pixilated pattern, it resembles the old Soviet Sunray camouflage. EMR is available in a light color scheme mostly using brown, light green, and tans to be used in desert operations. This type among the list of camouflage colors and patterns is used in Central Asia also. (See 20 Best Teen Clothing Brands)
8. Estonian Digital Pattern
It is a tricolor design with swirling patterns like an amoeba. The Estonian military introduced the new Digital pattern in 2006 which resembled the patterns of the Canadian Disruptive Pattern (CADPAT) and Marine Pattern (MARPAT).
9. Flecktarn
It is a German term for mottled camouflage and this pattern uses five colors, green (dark & light), green-brown, black, and red-brown. This pattern is an international success and India uses versions of this pattern for the uniforms of their forces. Also, check out which color is obtained by mixing red and yellow colors?
10. MO5
This pattern was introduced in 2016 and is used by the Finnish Armed Forces. This pattern comes in a woodland pattern for summer and a winter pattern for snowfall.
11. M90
This pattern of battledress is followed in Sweden and was introduced in the 1980s. It comes in the desert, woodland, and jungle patterns. Swedish researchers put in more blues instead of blacks and grays because they think these colors make the dress more distinct and easily recognizable. (See What Orders do the Rasta Colors Go In?)
12. Marine Pattern (MARPAT)
It is a digitalized pixilated version of the camouflage in shades of brown, tan, and green. The United States patented version of this camouflage color and pattern is exclusively used for the uniforms of the United States Marine Corps. It has Anchor, Corp’s eagle, and Globe weaved on it.
13. M81 Woodland
It is yet another classic pattern and was made from heavy material cloth. The pattern work is very limited making it an unpopular camouflage choice among the uniforms for the armed forces. It has shades of green with large irregular shapes of different green shades. (See What three colors look best together?)
14. MultiCam
It is a desert uniform pattern in shades of brown, tan, and green. It was launched as a replacement for the old three-color desert dress and woodland patterns.
15. Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP)
It is not digitalized but is a traditional mix of different shapes and colors. The versions of this pattern are still used internationally but this pattern is exclusively used in the uniforms of the military forces of Tonga and Malta. Also, check out 20 Best Clothing Brands.
16. Pantera
It was popularly known as Wz. 93 Pantera and is the standard camouflage pattern of the Polish Army Forces. It came into use in 1993 and its unique design was effective on the battlefield. It is a disruptive pattern that works by breaking the outline of the wearer. (See What Colors do Mixing Pink and Blue make?)
17. PenCott GreenZone
It is a pixilated camouflage dress developed by Hyde Definition, a United Kingdom company. The pattern uses only four colors with better blending and shading provided by the pixilated effects. Patterns available in this dress are Semi-Arid (Badlands), Arid (Sandstorm), and Arctic (Snowdrift). (See What are Coloured Glass Blocks?)
18. SS Leto/Partizan
It was the digital pattern summer uniform for the soldiers in Russia. The term Leto means summer and the pattern is derived from the oak-leaf pattern and was introduced in 2004. It was similar to the camouflage colors and patterns worn by the Nazi SS troops during World War II. (See Why is Blackboard Green?)
19. TAZ 90
It was the basic pattern that matched the working conditions of Switzerland. It can be used in desert regions also by shifting the color scheme. (See Which colors go with burgundy?)
20. Tigerstripe
This olive-colored camouflage pattern gets blended easily in the forest, making it hard to locate. This pattern is still used in the Philippines and Thailand. It has shades of orange, green, blue, and yellow. (See What to Cosplay for Beginners?)
So, today you got to know about camouflage colors and patterns, military camouflage patterns, and different colors of camouflage. Share this information with friends who are interested in these patterns and military uniforms. (See The Art of Teaching Art)
