U.S. Army universal camouflage trials#All-Over Brush

Six patterns were originally developed in early 2002 and reviewed for effectiveness, with three of the six designs being rejected due to limited effectiveness. The final three patterns were evaluated at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center, and four color schemes were created for each pattern. The woodland patterns consisted of tan, green, brown and black; the desert patterns comprised tan, dark tan, khaki and brown; the urban patterns included tan, light gray, medium gray and black, and the desert/urban patterns contained tan, dark tan, light gray and brown. A common ground shade, tan, was selected for all patterns to allow individual equipment to be interchangeable if more than one color scheme were adopted. The patterns were All-Over Brush, Shadowline, Track, and Scorpion, co-developed with contractor Crye Precision. The goal was to develop a single pattern that would perform well in all terrains.{{Cite web |date=15 December 2004 |title=dugas.ppt as .PDF |url=https://milspecmonkey.com/articles/acu/dugas.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216150433/https://milspecmonkey.com/articles/acu/dugas.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2019 |access-date=14 June 2024 |website=Mil-spec Monkey |agency=US Army Natick Soldier Center}}

File:PDN HSV 0 110 0, Lvls In255 0 Out245 0.80 15, AKVIS Shrpns100 HC-N - UCFW Phase I All-Over Brush Group Picture - Army tests new camouflage(.png).jpg

All-Over Brush consisted of swirls of colors similar to patches of grass and brush. In a poll from the Army Times in 2002, All-Over Brush was voted the most popular pattern in the woodland, desert, and urban schemes.{{Cite web |title=Army News {{!}} News from Afghanistan & Iraq |url=http://www.armytimes.com/legacy/new/0-ARMYPAPER-2191312.php |access-date=30 October 2007 |website=Army Times}}{{Cite web |last=Kolesar |first=Samuel |date=9 April 2011 |title=Modern Combat Uniforms of the USA II |url=https://www.onwar.eu/2011/04/09/moderne-bojove-uniformy-usa-ii/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901220418/https://www.onwar.eu/2011/04/09/moderne-bojove-uniformy-usa-ii/ |archive-date=1 September 2013 |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=On War}} The urban and desert/urban schemes were eliminated in the first phase of testing, with woodland being eliminated during the second phase of testing. Desert All-Over Brush made it through phase three and four in a modified, more all-environment friendly form.

File:PDN Levels RGB Input200 0 Output255 1.00 0, AKVIS Shrpns60 HC, PDN Curves RGB R128 114 B128 114 - UCFW Phase I Shadowline Group Picture - Shadow Line Pattern(.jpg,.png).jpg

The Shadowline pattern sported horizontal lines with slashes. All four color combinations were eliminated during the first phase of testing.

File:PDN HSV 0 105 0, Lvls In255 0 Out255 0.95 15, AKVIS Shrpns100 LC - UCFW Phase I Track Group Picture - Army tests new camouflage(.png).jpg

The Track pattern featured vertical lines with small, irregular marks present throughout. All four color combinations made it to phase two of testing, with a modified woodland pattern and modified urban pattern making it through phases three and four.

Scorpion was developed in conjunction with defense contractor Crye Precision. The pattern consists of six colors with an irregular spread throughout, and was designed to be effective in multiple environments. Following the trials, Crye began producing a slightly altered version for the commercial market as MultiCam.{{Cite web |last=Mortlock |first=Robert F. |date=3 July 2018 |title=Operational Camouflage Pattern Case Study |url=https://dair.nps.edu/bitstream/123456789/2726/1/NPS-AM-18-219.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401014054/https://dair.nps.edu/bitstream/123456789/2726/1/NPS-AM-18-219.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2022 |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=Acquisition Research Program Sponsored Report Series |page=31 |publication-place=Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 93943}}

Testing occurred in four different phases between August 2002 and March 2004 at Fort Benning, Fort Irwin, Fort Lewis, Fort Polk and the Yakima Training Center. A total of 15 evaluations took place. Trained soldiers rated the patterns based on blending, brightness, contrast and detection. Phase one consisted of only side-by-side daytime testing at distances up to {{convert|180|meters}} with patterns printed by an inkjet printer. Eleven candidates were selected and production printed for phase two of testing, which contained both day and nighttime evaluations at distances no greater than {{convert|120|meters}}. Patterns were tested separately in phase two. The modified Desert All-Over Brush, Woodland Track, Urban Track and Scorpion were evaluated in phases three and four. During phase four of testing, the selected patterns were printed on Future Force Warrior ensembles and evaluated from four different angles against woodland, desert and urban backgrounds.{{cite web |date=15 December 2004 |title=dugas.ppt |url=http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2004issc/wednesday/dugas.ppt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811125947/http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2004issc/wednesday/dugas.ppt |archive-date=11 August 2013 |access-date=29 June 2009 |website=Defense Technical Information Center |agency=US Army Natick Soldier Center}}

File:Phase I All-Over Brush Woodland Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Woodland

File:Phase I All-Over Brush Desert Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert

File:Phase I All-Over Brush Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Urban

File:Phase I All-Over Brush Desert-Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert/Urban

File:Phase I Track Woodland Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Woodland

File:Phase I Track Desert Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert

File:Phase I Track Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Urban

File:Phase I Track Desert-Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert/Urban

(No Officially Released Swatches)

File:Phase II All-Over Brush Woodland Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Woodland

File:Phase II & IV All-Over Brush Desert Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert

File:Phase II Track Woodland Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Woodland

File:Phase II Track Desert Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert

File:Phase II & IV Track Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Urban

File:Phase II Track Desert-Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert/Urban

File:Phase III All-Over Brush Desert (Mod) Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert (Mod)

File:Phase III & IV Track Woodland (Mod) Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Woodland (Mod)

File:Phase III Track Urban (Light Mod) Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Light Urban (Mod)

File:Phase III Track Urban (Dark Mod) Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Dark Urban (Mod)

File:Phase II & IV All-Over Brush Desert Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Desert

File:Phase III & IV Track Woodland (Mod) Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Woodland (Mod)

File:Phase II & IV Track Urban Camo Close-Up Swatch.png|Urban

{{main|Operational Camouflage Pattern}}

The Operational Camouflage Pattern, a modified version of the Scorpion pattern from the original trials, has been selected as the new pattern. It has been authorized for wear since 1 July 2015. The Universal Camouflage Pattern was authorized until 1 October 2019.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1 June 2015 |title=Operational Camouflage Pattern Army Combat Uniforms available July 1 |url=https://www.army.mil/article/149543/Operational_Camouflage_Pattern_Army_Combat_Uniforms_available_July_1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605160117/https://www.army.mil/article/149543/Operational_Camouflage_Pattern_Army_Combat_Uniforms_available_July_1/ |archive-date=5 June 2015 |access-date=1 June 2015 |website= |publisher=The United States Army |place=WASHINGTON |type=Rev. 26 October 2015 & Original}}{{Cite web |date=1 July 2015 |title=Operational Camouflage Pattern Army Combat Uniforms available July 1 |url=https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/396739.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526125948/https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/396739.pdf |archive-date=26 May 2020 |archive-format=PDF |access-date=19 June 2024 |place=WASHINGTON |type=Rev. 26 October 2015 Only }}

• List of camouflage patterns

{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20030422205311/http://www.natick.army.mil/about/pao/pubs/warrior/02/novdec/conceal.htm 2002 Natick article]

Category:United States Army uniforms

Category:Camouflage patterns