Operational Camouflage Pattern#Scorpion W0

File:SpaceForce OCP uniform.jpg OCP uniform]]

In the early 2010s, the U.S. Army concluded that the UCP did not adequately meet all of the concealment needs for Afghanistan's multiple regions.{{cite news |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/reports-army-selects-new-camouflage-uniform-pattern-1.285675 |title=Reports: Army selects new camouflage uniform pattern |access-date=8 June 2014 |work=Stars and Stripes |first=Jon |last=Harper|date=27 May 2014}}

In 2010, the United States Army Camouflage Improvement Effort considered 22 entrants. The Army eliminated the patterns down to five finalists who exceeded the baseline patterns and Scorpion W2 was among them in the Army's in-house submission (the Army later withdrew their submission leaving the four commercial vendors).{{cite news |url=http://www.armytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014305230076 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140608181751/http://www.armytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014305230076 |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 June 2014 |access-date=8 June 2014 |work=Army Times |title= Army selects new camo pattern |date=23 May 2014|first=Joe |last=Gould }} The finalists in the Army's Phase IV camouflage testing were Crye Precision; ADS Inc. and Hyperstealth Inc.; Brookwood Companies Inc.; and Kryptek Inc.{{cite news |url=http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/05/23/army-selects-new-camouflage-pattern.html |work=Military.com |title= Army Selects New Camouflage Pattern |access-date=8 June 2014 |date=23 May 2014|first=Matthew |last=Cox}}

The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDA or NDAA), prevents any service from adopting a new camouflage pattern not already in inventory before the NDA, unless they get all other services to adopt the same pattern. As a result, the Army had to consider existing camouflage patterns within the United States Department of Defense.

Initially, the Army's first pattern choice was the MultiCam pattern developed by Crye Precision, but allegedly due to "printing fees", procurement discussions broke down. Crye Precision developed the original Scorpion pattern under a government contract in 2002. The pattern was modified by the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in 2009 and named the Scorpion W2 pattern.{{cite web |url=http://soldiersystems.net/2014/05/23/us-army-selects-scorpion-camouflage-pattern/ |title=US Army Selects Scorpion Camouflage Pattern |date=23 May 2014 |website=Soldier Systems |access-date=24 August 2015}} The Army owns the licensing rights for Scorpion W2, which lowers the overall cost, and allows the Army the option to restrict the pattern to service members only.

File:181101-A-VX503-452.jpg at a shooting range.]]

The ACU patterned in OCP first became available to U.S. Army soldiers on 1 July 2015, at 20 locations in the contiguous United States and in South Korea, with first-day sales exceeding $1.4 million. More installations began sales later in 2015, although soldiers deploying on real-world missions began receiving uniforms and equipment printed in OCP before that date. The color of the T-shirt and belt worn with the OCP ACU are Tan 499, as opposed to the desert sand color for the previous uniform, although soldiers were allowed to continue to wear the older color T-shirts, belts, and boots until October 2019. Body armor, packs, and pouches in previous UCP and MultiCam patterns will be worn until they can be replaced with OCP.{{cite news |last=Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs |url=http://kitup.military.com/2015/07/soldiers-line-buy-camouflage-uniforms.html |title=Soldiers Line Up to Buy New Camouflage Uniforms |work=Kitup.Military.com |date=8 July 2015}}

On 14 May 2018, the U.S. Air Force announced that all airmen will transition from the Airman Battle Uniform to the OCP uniform. Airmen were authorized to wear OCP uniforms beginning 1 October 2018. Recruits in basic training, and cadets in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, and Officer Training School were issued OCPs beginning 1 October 2019. All airmen were required to own OCP uniforms by 1 April 2021. Unlike the Army, the Air Force uses brown thread for name tapes and rank insignia and have a subdued-color flag patch at all times instead of when on deployment.{{cite news |last=Cox |first=Matthew |url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1520066/air-force-transitions-to-a-single-combat-uniform/ |title= Air Force transitions to a single combat uniform |work= AF.mil |date=14 May 2018}}

The U.S. Space Force has also adopted the OCP uniform, but with navy blue thread for ranks and tapes.{{cite news|url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/01/17/space-force-offers-first-peek-new-camouflage-uniform.html|title= Space Force Offers First Peek at Camouflage Uniform|last= Hodge Seck|first=Hope|website=Military.com|date=17 January 2020|access-date=1 October 2020}}

• {{flag|Australia}}: US-made Air Warrior PSGC vests in OCP were worn by Australian Defence Force aviation aircrews.{{Cite web|url=https://news.defence.gov.au/service/exercise-care-bear-taking-patients-new-heights |title=Exercise Care Bear taking patients to new heights|access-date=Sep 2, 2022}}{{failed verification|date=September 2023}}{{better source needed|date=September 2023}}{{cite web|url= https://images.defence.gov.au/assets/Home/Search?Query=20220516adf8595729_0399.jpg&Type=Filename|title=Exercise Vigilant Scimitar|date=May 16, 2022}}{{failed verification|date=September 2023}}{{better source needed|date=September 2023}}
• {{flag|Lebanon}}: Lebanese Armed Forces have worn US Army made OCP ACU uniforms as their standard camouflage uniform since 2017.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}
• {{flag|Republic of Korea}}: Worn by KATUSA units, replacing Universal Camouflage Pattern.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}
• {{flag|Ukraine}}: Used by regular Ukrainian Armed Forces and reservists supplied by U.S. Armed Forces as of 2022.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}
• {{flagcountry|United States}}: Current standard camouflage of the U.S. Army since 2015 and U.S. Air Force since 2018.
• {{Army|United States|size=23px}}
• {{Air force|United States}}
• {{flag|United States Space Force|size=23px}}
• {{navy|United States|size=23px}} (individual augmentees){{Cite web|title = The Air Force Is Down With The Army’s OCP. The Other Branches, Not So Much|publisher=Task & Purpose|url =https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-uniform-army-camouflage/ |date=May 14, 2018 |access-date = August 26, 2022}}
• {{coast guard|United States|size=23px}} (SMTC/DSF){{cite web|url=https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8252510/seac-visits-uscg-special-missions-training-center-camp-lejeune|title=SEAC visits USCG Special Missions Training Center at Camp Lejeune|date=Feb 15, 2024}}
• Many State Defense Forces, military units under the command of individual state governments, utilize modified versions of the OCP uniform for their personnel.{{Cite web |date=2015-11-01 |title=About The State Defense Force |url=https://statedefenseforce.com/main/about-the-state-defense-force/ |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=StateDefenseForce.com |language=en-US}}

• MARPAT, a digital camouflage used by the United States Marine Corps
• Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform, a similar camouflage pattern issued to the Australian Defence Force from 2014 onwards
• Multi-Terrain Pattern, a similar camouflage pattern issued to the British Army from 2010 onwards

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.hyperstealth.com/scorpion/index.html Hyperstealth: U.S. Army Scorpion Camouflage]

{{commons category|Operational Camouflage Pattern}}

{{Camouflage}}

Category:Camouflage patterns

Category:Military equipment introduced in the 2010s