MultiCam

For the method of shooting films and television programs, see Multiple-camera setup.

MultiCam on Army Combat Uniform

MultiCam is a single camouflage pattern designed to help the wearer hide in varied environments, seasons, elevations, and light conditions. It is a 7-color,^[1] multi-environment camouflage pattern developed by Crye Associates in conjunction^{[citation needed]} with U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center (also known as U.S Army Natick labs). The pattern was on the race to replace the 3-color desert and Woodland patterns, but originally lost to the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) in 2004, seen in the Army Combat Uniform. However, it has been newly commissioned in 2010 and will be replacing the UCP over time for use by US Army Units serving in Afghanistan, Under the Designation OCP or Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern.^[2][3] It is already used by some American Special Operations units and law enforcement agencies.

The US Army has recently approved the use of MultiCam for the 173rd Airborne Brigade deployed to Afghanistan.^[4]

The pattern is also available for commercial sale to civilians.^{[citation needed]}

A development of MultiCam with the existing British DPM has been adopted with British Army as Multi-Terrain Pattern.

Appearance

Soldiers wearing Multicam while demonstrating Future Force Warrior project. Ft. Bliss, Texas.

MultiCam has background colors of a brown to light-tan gradient and lime green blending in between, the main part consist of green to yellowish green gradient and finally dark brown and light pinkish blotches spread throughout the pattern. This allows for the overall appearance to change from greenish to brownish in different areas of the fabric, while having smaller blotches to break up the bigger background areas. MultiCam hides volume and form by tricking the human eye's perception of color. MultiCam allows the object it covers to blend into the background with the camo pattern.

There is also a non-licensed copy of the original pattern which is slightly darker or with pink or yellow tone and printed on different fabric with different characteristics.^[5]

Another non-licensed copy, called Suez pattern, very similar to original MultiCam, is used by Polish special forces GROM, BOA and BOR.^[6]

Adoption

It has become quite popular among armed forces of many nationalities and, to an equal extent, civilians. It is one of few patterns that are not generally issued but are yet available from prominent military makers of military uniforms and equipment.^{[citation needed]}

United States

MultiCam is currently in use by some units of the US military's Special Operations Command,^[7][8] and some private military contractors.^[9] Several members of the US Army's 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Charlie Company were also seen wearing MultiCam when followed by ABC News.^[10] Some local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies also make use of the pattern, including the Drug Enforcement Agency DEA FAST teams operating Afghanistan as well as the Department of Homeland Security ICE SRT and the Spokane Police department. The United States Air Force just recently announced that they will be adopting use of MultiCam for some of their uniforms.

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  DEA agents in Afghanistan, 2008.

• 

  Army Special Forces in Farah Province, 2009.

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  U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division in Logar Province, 2011.

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  U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division in Kunar Province, 2011.

United Kingdom

The pattern is also in use with UKSF in Afghanistan. British forces deployed in Afghanistan have been using a MultiCam variant, Multi-Terrain Pattern, since March 2010. Crye's MultiCam technology was determined to be the best performing, across the widest range of environments (by a significant margin) and was subsequently selected as the basis for the new MTP camouflage, combined with the existing British Disruptive Pattern Material pattern.^[11][12]

Australia

On the 19th of November 2010, after trials by Australian special operations forces, the Australian Defence Force announced that Multicam will be standard for all regular Australian Army personnel in Afghanistan. Multicam, it is said, provided "... troops with greater levels of concealment across the range of terrains in Afghanistan – urban, desert and green." Previously, depending upon the terrain, Australian troops had to transition between green and desert colored Australian Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniforms (DPCU or AUSCAM).^[13][14] On the 30th of May 2011 the Defence Material Organisation announced that they had obtained licence to produce Multicam in Australia for $4.7 million USD and Crye would also design a new uniquely Australian pattern for another $3.1 million USD.^[15]

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  Australian special forces in green and desert DPCU, December 2009.

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  Australian special forces in Multicam, June 2010.

Georgia

The Republic of Georgia unveiled its own Multicam pattern first shown in a military parade on May 26, 2010. Since then, the country started to produce Multicam uniforms en masse and almost the entire Armed Forces switched to it, replacing the Digital Woodland that has been used since 2007. Special Forces, including those of the Interior Ministry, also use Multicam. The Georgian variant has a different shape and color balance than its American counterpart.

Users

•  Australia: Special Operations Command and forces deployed to Afghanistan.^[13][14] Also used by Police Tactical Groups.^[16][17]
•  Denmark: Will be issued as standard uniform of the Danish military in 2013^[18].
•  Georgia: Standart uniform of the Georgian Armed Forces and of some police special forces
•  Montenegro: Standard uniform of the Montenegro military^[19].
•  New Zealand: New Zealand Special Air Service^[20]
•  Taiwan: Army Special Force, Winter Training Center, Mt. Ho-Huan ^[21]
•  United Kingdom: Multi-Terrain Pattern variant is standard issue for the UK military.
•  United States: U.S. Army, U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Air Force Airmen 'outside the wire' in Afghanistan (e.g. JTACs)^[22]

See also

• Military camouflage
• List of camouflage patterns
• U.S. Army trial patterns
• Future Force Warrior
• Multi-Terrain Pattern

References

1. ^ Smith, Ned (5 August). "New Army Camouflage Lets Soldiers Hide in Plain Sight". TechMediaNetwork.com. http://www.technewsdaily.com/new-army-camouflage-lets-soldiers-hide-in-plain-sight-0992/. Retrieved 5 August 2010. 
2. ^ "Soldiers receive new MultiCam ACUs, gear". Army Times. 2010-08-23. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/08/army-shelby-troops-receive-new-multicam-082210w/. Retrieved 2011-08-16. 
3. ^ MultiCam article at Army Times "Army to replace camo pattern in Afghanistan". http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/02/army_multicam_030110w/ MultiCam article at Army Times. 
4. ^ "Congress Cares About Camo « Soldier Systems". Soldiersystems.net. 2009-06-17. http://soldiersystems.net/2009/06/17/congress-cares-about-camo/. Retrieved 2010-02-23. 
5. ^ http://www.greyops.net/2010/07/multicam-vs-multisham-part-2.html
6. ^ "Other variants and derivatives of MultiCam". Strikehold.wordpress.com. 2009-12-20. http://strikehold.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/other-variants-and-derivatives-of-multicam/. Retrieved 2011-08-16. 
7. ^ Combat and Survival Magazine, image capture
8. ^ "MultiCam Manufacturing". Multicampattern.com. http://www.multicampattern.com/manufacturersarea.html. Retrieved 2011-08-16. 
9. ^ Blackwater USA^{[dead link]}
10. ^ 01/11/2010. "Nightline - ABC News - Courage Under Fire in Afghanistan". Abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9537353. Retrieved 2011-08-16. 
11. ^ Emery, Daniel (2009-12-20). "British Army to get new camouflage uniform". BBC News Online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8422942.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-20. 
12. ^ Copping, Jasper (2009-12-20). "British Army to get new uniforms – turned down by the US and made in China". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/6844734/British-Army-to-get-new-uniforms---turned-down-by-the-US-and-made-in-China.html. Retrieved 2009-12-20. 
13. ^ ^{a b} New combat uniform makes troops job easier, Australian Department of Defence, 19 November 2010.
14. ^ ^{a b} Land Warfare Conference - Minister for Defence Materiel, Australian Department of Defence, 19 November 2010.
15. ^ New defence uniforms on the way, The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 May 2011
16. ^ http://www.newsbeat.police.wa.gov.au/issues/1002/images/pics/05-NB-TRG_002-large.jpg
17. ^ "TRG tactical swimmer training". Newsbeat.police.wa.gov.au. http://www.newsbeat.police.wa.gov.au/issues/1002/05.aspx. Retrieved 2011-08-16. 
18. ^ http://forsvaret.dk/FMT/Nyt%20og%20Presse/Pages/Uniformimultiterr%C3%A6nm%C3%B8nster.aspx
19. ^ http://soldiersystems.net/2010/09/29/montenegro-military-in-multicam/
20. ^ Cheng, Derek (2 July 2011). "SAS war kit blows away military fans". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10735872. Retrieved 2 July 2011. 
21. ^ http://163.29.207.52/mnanew/news_video/20090203_135234.wmv Military News Agency, 2009,1,14
22. ^ Officials to issue new camouflage uniforms to deployers, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, 1/27/2011

External links

• MultiCamPattern.com
• Crye Precision
• Military Morons review and history of MultiCam
• Multicam-Inside.fr, (French) Multicam enthusiasts community.
• "British Army to get new uniforms – turned down by the US and made in China," The Daily Telegraph, Dec. 20, 2009.
• "British Army to get new camouflage uniform," BBC News, Dec. 20, 2009.
• "Camo Delays and Assessment Team Gouge" DefenseTech 29 Dec 2009.
• English Translation of Hebrew article on MultiCam
• Multicam & Multi Terrain Pattern (MTP) compared