Multi-Cams
 

As kgoerz mentioned these uniforms are being tested in conjunction with the Future Force Warrior Exercise. The Future Force program basically tests the new high tech equipment that the military wishes to one day effectively utilize in a combat environment. Basically think of Ghost Recon the Video game and image those types of systems being implemented into reality. As to their effectiveness in a rigorous combat environment.........well that's a whole different issue!!


As for the Muti-cams themselves they resemble the types of patterns found in Northern European countries such as Norway and Sweden, with the exception of having different color schemes. As for the effectiveness of the camouflage Multi-Cam pattern itself, I can personally verify that it is much more effective in a woodland environment than anything that is currently being used.

It's ironic, but the method that CSB (minus all the shooting) posted is basically the method we used to determine which type of uniform would blend in the best. We set up virtually every type of uniform in use by the US Gov; ACU's, brown dyed ACU's, BDU, DCU's, Marine DCU's (both types), Old school OD Green's, and some foreign uniforms, in a woodland environment. We then were about 300 meters away with spotting scopes and tried to identify the different types of camo patterns. From my personal experience the Multi-Cams blended in the best followed by the Marine Pixilated woodland pattern. All in all, much better than ACU's, BDU's. ...etc.

The uniforms themselves also have incorporated under amour, whereby you have a poly blend fabric for the torso portion, with only actual Muti-Cam material for sleeves. This is so that you can throw on you kit/body amour over your uniform and in theory not overheat as much as you would with a regular BDU/ACU uniform.


Supposedly (rumors of course) the army is going to switch from the current ACU pattern to the multi-cams with-in 5 years. Not really sure how likely that is due to the nature of large government contracts, but only time will tell.



I hope this was a little informative and if you have any questions regarding this issue please feel free to send me a message and I'll tell what I can.

The Web Sight Milspec Monkey or something close to that has the testing data also. Was pretty interesting reading. Multi Cam didn't have a name when the testing was conducted and they are refereed to as Contractor in the write up. Interesting photos there also.

As stated above, when the Dept. of Army went looking for a new uniform pattern, MC was never considered. It was part of the Future Force project and that is where it remains. What I have not read is whether Crye decided not to enter the process for consideration, similiar to HK's decission not to enter for the new SOCOM rifle, or if Crye was left out on the Army side. Either way, it has got to be one of the worst decissions made by the higher ups. What makes it even worst is that they continue throw away good money after bad. As far as it's effectiveness, I will neither confirm nor deny that I have seen it's effects in an environment similar to that of A-stan and it beats all others hands down, especially the ACU pattern.

As far as multiple services having different uniforms, there is some regulation/policy letter that states each service hold proprietary rights over their uniforms and another service must obtain written consent to use said uniform design. When the BDU was selected by Dept. of the Army way back when, each service was granted rights to use the design. With that, we can blame the USMC for our current state of field uniforms as they were the first to break ranks and go another route. :P

The grape vine has a rumor that there is a push within USASOC to convert to MC in the near future. Only time will tell if the powers that be will sign off on it.

Thanks for the info, but I was wondering if you had any links or pictures of the Scanadanavian camo schemes you're referencing. I served alongside Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Danish troops in the mid-90s, and back then they all sported a variation of either the large-block or 'flecktarn' camo schemes seen here:

http://www.geocities.com/canuck_infa...wedish_M90.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/canuck_infa...anish_M-84.jpg

A Google search on swedish and norwegian camouflage didn't pull up any differing results. Have our viking cousins switched to a new camouflage pattern recently?

Was this a unit internal test, or were you part of a larger Army/Natick testing program at the time?


On this note, did you see where the Army has taken this particular design and made it part of the ACU for wear under body armor? I think its very interesting how they kept the characteristics of a wicking, stretch material, but were able to make it flash-proof. This could have potential for further uniform improvements.

Was there any validity to the source of this rumor, or just wishful thinking by Joe?

Tuukka
 

I sent Tuukka a PM and told him to wake up and join in. Little dark up there right now, he might be hibernating. Being a Finn he should have some good input on the Arctic Circle Gang.

Pete

Is Crye Precision the same as multi cam? 5th Group CIF is using the Crye Precision uniform only on missions. Sucks for them, since they have ACU, DCU, and the Crye uniform.

I believe that Crye Precision is the licensed owner of the MultiCam pattern, but they have various agreements with other companies who have begun producing their own products in MultiCam (Tru-Spec for example). Thus, Crye has its MultiCam uniforms, but there are others floating around out there too.

Pete, thanks for the heads up

Ok, here are the current camo patterns in use over here;

Finland

M62 ( Old but still in use )

http://tietokannat.mil.fi/pyry2007/i...d=36&width=640

http://www.mil.fi/merivoimat/joukot/...jat/radio2.jpg

M91

http://tietokannat.mil.fi/kalustoesi...7.62_RK_62.jpg

http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/joukot/utjr/c2.jpg


M05 summer ( New and I believe for conscripts it is now only a BDU that is used for going on leave and not for the field but will be replacing older patterns in the future )

We had the trial version of the M05 suit ( K05 ) but it was not in a digital pattern.


http://tietokannat.mil.fi/kalustoesi...aat_2PIENI.JPG


http://www.mil.fi/rauhanturvaaja/get2data.php?id=301


M05 winter

http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/joukot/k...h_kg51_iso.jpg


M05 warm weather ( For peacekeepers, similar to German desert flecktarn )

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6486/14hy5.jpg



Sweden

M90

http://www.mil.se/int/images/local/f..._ankomst_1.jpg

M90 desert

http://www.mil.se/int/images/local/f...astpatrull.jpg


Norway

Woodland

http://www.mil.no/multimedia/archive..._17_91273a.jpg


Desert

http://cache.aftenposten.no/multimed...00_635072s.jpg


Denmark

M/84

http://www.flv.dk/billeder/Stinger_01.jpg

M/84 desert

http://www.thm.dk/udstil/pics/billede_501stor.jpg

Tuukka
 

Tuukka;

Good pictures.

Finland, Sweden and Norway seem to be based on the same large splotch greens and tans paterns.

Contractors up there scratching each other's back?:D

Pete

Dont know about that...

But if one takes a look at the terrain and vegetation, we are all pretty similar.

Sadly I could not find a picture of the Swedes wearing their issued hair nets :D

To be honest, I'm a fan of larger block camo. After 100m or so, everything else tends to blur into a single color, which is effective for matching a background, but does little for breaking up an outline.

I heard MC wasnt considered because it isn't digital. Since digital stuff is all the hype these days it was doomed. I've seen GROM wearing MC or something like it. ACUs aren't good for anything hardly. They tear easily and don't blend in. I hope what some of the guys have heard is true and we go to something else.

Most of those remind me of the camo used by the WWII Wehrmacht.

Sorry to beat a dead horse sir but I couldn't agree more. Being a short guy, I had every one of my issued ACU crotches ripped out within days of issue due to them being so low cut. I like the security of velcro pockets but their so fucking loud to open I thank the lord nothing we did in Iraq or Afghanistan was a noise-discipline enviroment.

Made sense to me. And I also liked it because I could go to any clothing sales on any base/post the US Military has and pick up BDUs, if needed.

The AF ABU isn't much better than the ACU. I think we have a bit of blue in ours, but it's difficult to tell the colors apart. We do have that cool tiger stripe pattern, tho.

I also heard about some PJs in Hurlburt wearing the MC uniforms. No idea where they got those.

Did anyone notice in the movie, "Transformers" that the ODA was wearing MC? My nephew picked that out and asked me what sort of uniforms they were wearing.