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Breaking – US Army Makes Officical Announcement Regarding Adoption of Scorpion W2 aka Operational Camouflage Pattern

Finally! To little fanfare, the US Army has just released an official statement attributed to an anonymous Senior Army Spokesperson (yes, I’m not kidding, no one put their name on this) that they’ve adopted the Scorpion W2 camouflage pattern for use as the Operational Camouflage Pattern. This means that Scorpion W2 will supplant the MultiCam pattern which was adopted as OCP into 2010. In addition, it will also replace the Universal Camouflage Pattern adopted in 2004 as the primary Camo pattern. The printers are rolling Scorpion off the line like so many $100 bills at the US Treasury.

There are no new details in the statement that have not already been disclosed by Soldier Systems Daily. The timing for sale of the items in the new pattern in Summer 2015 is in line with the May 2015 goal stated to industry last month.

Despite this announcement, which occurred after duty hours on a Thursday evening, the Army has still not released any photographs of the Scorpion W2 variant which was modified from the baseline Scorpion circa 2010. So far, everything you see online that is labeled Scorpion is not the W2 variant adopted by the Army. As both the commercial MultiCam and Scorpion W2 are variants of the original Scorpion they all have very similar shapes and colorations but are distinguishable when laid out side-by-side. In fact, both the Scorpion and MultiCam patterns were developed by Crye Associates while the Scorpion W2 modification of the pattern was conducted at the US Army’s Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts. See our article soldiersystems.net/2014/05/23/little-scorpion-camo-history for additional background.

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ARLINGTON, Va. (July 31, 2014) — The Army has selected a pattern as its base combat uniform camouflage pattern. The Army has confirmed through testing that the pattern would offer exceptional concealment, which directly enhances force protection and survivability for Soldiers.

The Army is naming the pattern the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) to emphasize that the pattern’s use extends beyond Afghanistan to all Combatant Commands. The Army’s adoption of OCP will be fiscally responsible by transitioning over time and simply replacing current uniforms and equipment as they wear out.

The Army anticipates the Army Combat Uniform with the OCP will be available for purchase by Soldiers at Military Clothing Sales Stores (MCSS) in the summer of 2015.

For the most comprehensive coverage on the path forward for the adoption of Scorpion W2 as the Operational Camouflage Pattern, read our story soldiersystems.net/2014/06/30/latest-info-us-army-transition-scorpion-camouflage-including-accessory-colors-schedules

This article was updated to add details on the history of the a Scorpion camouflage pattern.

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129 Responses to “Breaking – US Army Makes Officical Announcement Regarding Adoption of Scorpion W2 aka Operational Camouflage Pattern”

  1. bulldog76 says:

    *fireworks explode and bands play * BOUT DAMN TIME !!

  2. Craig says:

    Sooo. . . where is the ALARACT with wear in date for the OCP and wear out date for UCP?

    • SSD says:

      Are you kidding? It took them months to just admit to the change. Give them time. You won’t see uniforms until next Summer anyway.

      • xdarrows says:

        Disappointed, but not surprised, that the Army is wasting the millions in MC/OCP uniforms that troops could be wearing TODAY.

  3. GW says:

    I think its great news.

  4. CAVstrong says:

    ………….now what will I obsess about…

    • 10thMountainMan says:

      New PT Uniform??

      • SSD says:

        The other day, I inadvertently published a draft ALARACT for the new APFU. It is coming, soon.

        • Jimbo says:

          I was at the Soldier Show with my wife the other week (I know, I know, but she really wanted to go). Some of the Soldiers had the new APFU on during portions of the show. It looked OK, not that I wear it anyway. I haven’t had on Army PTs since ANCOC/SLC in 06.

        • straps says:

          You know you’re connected when you’re pushing drafts.

          Had a chuckle when that one guy said, “Hey this doesn’t seem to be on the G1 page, link please?” Then POOF gone.

          • SSD says:

            Yeah, one MACOM disseminated it like it was released.

            • Aaron says:

              I got that ALARACT in a Frago with photos of the new uniform in a PPT on Tuesday.

              • SSD says:

                Yeah. But they didn’t issue the ALARACT officially until last night. There was a lot of handwringing over my initial publication of the message.

  5. Doc_robalt says:

    So with them dyeing all the UCP OCIE into a Coyote Brownish color does that mean that OCP OCIE will be Coyote Brown like the Marines? Or are we gonna use ScorpionW2 OCIE for everything even Woodland and Desert Bookends?

  6. Luddite4Change says:

    About time!

    Agree that it’s a pretty limp dick announcement.

    Now, if we could just get rid of the the velcro and put rank/branch insignia back where it belongs.

    I’m sure an ALARACT (no doubt coming with a chain teaching PPT presentation) will follow in a few weeks. I think the only important date will be the wear in date, as likely most folks will gladly $%^&can their UCP at the first opportunity.

    • Daniel says:

      I am actually looking forward to sneaking the OEF CP that they issued me when I have to do FTX’s… I view it as I already own 4 sets of field uniforms, now I just have to buy some garrison uniforms.

  7. Chad T. says:

    The Army announcing something huge without really saying anything. They are getting really good at it too.

  8. jjj0309 says:

    Airsofters and Collectors;
    “Hell, It’s about time (to furnish a full set).”

    Meanwhile in China;
    “Knock-off manufacturing system boot in 3.. 2.. 1..”

  9. Mike says:

    ‘Bout time.

    I do find their choice of the word “exceptional concealment” to be misleading at best, an outright lie at worst.

    As has been shown in the many stories on SSD and elsewhere, it is highly likely that Scorpion has already been stacked up against competing patterns (to include Multicam and the Crye CIP submission) and found lacking. Not to mention that the CIP already resulted in the 4 downselected patterns which were supposed to be the best available patterns out there – and none of them were Scorpion.

    As such, to say this will offer “improved concealment” would be accurate. But “exceptional”? That’st dishonest.

    • 10thMountainMan says:

      We are replacing the UCP abortion with something resembling a soldier’s uniform. I’m not too worried if it is the “best” at this point. I’m just happy to be getting something better.

      • SSD says:

        I definitely empathize with your position.

        • Mike says:

          Oh, I agree with both of you as well. The bar has been set so low by UCP that it’s refreshing to be finally taking a step – any step – in the right direction.

          I was just saying that to claim the Soldier is getting an “exceptional” capability is disingenuous.

  10. Airforce pred says:

    Come on USAF and follow the Army and get rid of the abortion that is the ABU

    • Stefan S. says:

      Like you Zoomies need camo. Now about concrete gray. Since 99% of all AF personnel spend their “shift” indoors, on an AC, or on the flight line.

      • Sgt A says:

        Only 1/3 of the Army really needs a camouflage uniform, yet here we are. More importantly, that would mean that the USAF can authorize a usable sister service pattern in a deployment uniform as a service, instead of having to authorize that unit by unit.

        More importantly, in services where users don’t necessarily need to blend in with their equipment, but would benefit from blending in with surroundings it’s possible to have a much better uniform without much administrative cost (ditch NWU and ABU for those uses). As much as I laugh at the liger stripe pattern the air force adopted, letting petty interservice stuff create negative opinions of what those service members deserve is just stupid.

  11. That Blue Falcon says:

    I wonder if we’ve been wearing Scorpion W2 all along – the Crye Multicam clothing I wore didn’t match the coloration of the issued OCP stuff, we always joked that we got knockoff Multicam.

    *shrugs* I’m probably wrong, but it killed a lot of time on the FOB.

  12. Strike-Hold says:

    I wish they’d release a photo…

  13. Lasse says:

    Doesn’t really say which pattern which was selected though…

  14. Zach says:

    Wonder what they are going to about the little piece of the NEW AR 670-1 that made us get rid of bags and backpacks that are not UCP or Black.

    • SSD says:

      Lots of OCP bags out there right now.

      • CAVstrong says:

        Does the New AR 670-1 really nix brown or tan bags?
        Why go back to black, wasn’t it determined at some point that black wasn’t ideal…..

        • SSD says:

          Yes, it does, but AR 670-1 has always been a garrison reg.

        • CAVstrong says:

          Follow up I just looked through an AR 670-1 from March 2014 I didn’t see anything about bags in there…..but I’m an Officer so…

          • That Blue Falcon says:

            I’ve already told my joes that in the field they can wear whatever color gear they need to IOT get the job done, as long as they run it by their immediate CoC (who has more detailed guidance, i.e. no Condor or chinese-made crap). Amazing the level of discretion officers have that we really don’t realize until we start digging.

    • straps says:

      Ch 3 Sec 7 Para f(2) (PDF page 26) states that “the bag shall be black or match the camouflage pattern.” I’m pretty sure a SGM will bubble to the surface and try to tell a troop that an OCP pack is not a “match” for a Scorpion pack. My hope is that will be a small and elite cadre.

      Ch 3 Sec 7 Para f(3) (PDF page 26) gives Commanders latitude to tell their subordinate leaders not to care. Mine did, and my unit has LOTS of dudes carrying “organizationally issued” Khaki- and Coyote-colored packs.

      • SSD says:

        They’re all called OCP. Let that melt his brain.

        • straps says:

          “You need to get’chyo butt over to Clothing AND Sales and get’chyo self a regulation pack. And buy you some authorized boots while you’re at it.”

  15. Stefan S. says:

    Now Airsoft wannabee’s are scrambling to get kit in OCP! LOL

  16. CornDog says:

    So basically the army is creating a knock off pattern to avoid paying the licensing fee for multicam. A government stealing from its citizens.

    • Lcon says:

      It’s a bit more complicated then that. The Army and Crye Precision Crated Scorpion Generation 1 back in 2002. In 2004 the Army decided to adopt UCP. Crye took It’s Scorpion Pattern and modified it into Multicam that pattern introduced commercially in about 2006 in 2009 The Army was hot under the collar with congress up in arms over the failure of UCP in Afghanistan. Now about this same time the NATICK Soldier systems created Scorpion W2 call it In 2010 Crye got it’s orders for Multicam. before delivery though Crye altered the pattern creating the current issue. Now the Army in late 2013 early 2014 tried to buy out Crye but Crye said no to the buy out. So The Army went back to Scorpion, the last version they had in house was Scorpion W2.

      Think of Scorpion was As the mother pattern. the Army and Crye hold joint ownership of Scorpion. now When the army went to UCP, Crey took there half of Scorpion and altered it into Multicam. The Daughter pattern Then in 2010 they created fathered a second Daughter current issue. When UCP proved a Dud the Army fathered a step daughter pattern that is Scorpion W2. it’s not stealing as they are not using Multicam they are instead going back to the root family tree,

      • SSD says:

        Have you taken a look at the patent for Scorpion? I don’t see anyone from the Army’s name on it.

      • Riceball says:

        To further clarify things, it was reported here that when the Army turned down Crye’s initial buyout quote the Army just left it at that and never came up with a counter-offer in return. So while the Army didn’t want to buyout Multicam from Crye at the price quoted it wasn’t like Crye was being greedy about since if the Army was really serious about buying out Multicam they would have made Crye a counter offer and had they actually tried negotiating they might have been eventually able to work out a deal.

        • SSD says:

          They gave a counter offer, but I wouldn’t consider what I have been told was offered as a good faith offer. After that, the Army stopped communicating with Crye Precision at all.

      • C says:

        The Army has no ownership on the Scorpion pattern. This is purely more back pedaling. Someone announced “Scorpion” , thinking that the Army owned it. That person was more than likely not in the know since this cluster fuck started over a decade ago. Once they dug into it, they realized the truth, that scorpion isn’t free either. So they decided to create a knock off pattern “Scorpion……w2” or whatever at Natick. So yes it is stealing. Furthermore, WTF was the point of all of those testing trials if this pattern wasn’t even tested?

        • Explosive Hazard says:

          It was tested, but it was dropped from the final round due to it being too similar to and performing a little less than CP’s submission (MultiCam gen 2?). So, we have a pattern that isn’t quite as good as the Phase IV finalists but it should at least be better or equal to the baseline patterns which were Marpat variants and MultiCam gen 1. At least this is what I gather. So, not the best thing out there but still better than the vast majority. And obviously waaaaaaaay better than UCP.

          • SSD says:

            Scorpion was not tested in phase 4 of the army camouflage improvement effort.

            • Explosive Hazard says:

              “the government submission is being removed from further consideration as a replacement to the universal camouflage pattern. This decision has been made in light of the similarity between elements of the government and one industry submission and the higher score of the industry submission during the initial evaluation…” The government submission being Scorpion. What am I missing? It was tested with all the industry submissions for Phase 4 but was dropped from the final round.

              • SSD says:

                You do realize that all the first round consisted of was a Picture in Picture test right? I’m not sure if the Government submission was even subjected to the PiP because the Army has not yet released the test report.

          • CAVstrong says:

            SSD is the commercially available Multicam Family Crye’s submission?
            Was Crye’s submission similar or uniquely American in design….or do we simply not know?

  17. Devil Dog says:

    I don’t know why the Army didn’t just adopt Marpat. You don’t see the Corps complaining about toothpaste colored uniforms and trying to scramble back to something they passed on over a decade ago.

    • Hardchawger says:

      I wish there was a like button for this post. I remember when I was issued the new BDUs at Leonardwood in 1983 and then again at Parris Island in 1987.

      I still have FRACU multicams from Afghanistan in 2012 and I doubt Mr. Crye will sue the Army for letting us wear it.

    • Riceball says:

      Because we were petty about it and copyrighted it and was not willing to share with anybody except for Corpsmen deployed with Marine units. So it wasn’t so much that the Army didn’t want to adopt MARPAT, they couldn’t.

  18. MRivera643 says:

    SSD, is there any word on the A2CU?

  19. Hardchawger says:

    Was there a ten-year wear clause in the contract? Seems like all this stalling stretched it out to an even decade like the beret fiasco.

  20. Black6ID says:

    At the end of the day they have adopted a decade plus old camouflage design and circumvented having to pay anything to privately owned companies. Great job Big Army and good luck with that.

    • SSD says:

      Companies are being paid.

      • Riceball says:

        True, somebody has to print up the fabric and then somebody else has to take that fabric and sew it up into uniforms. It’s not like the Army has its own fabric making and printing facilities or garment mills for that matter. What they did avoid is having to continue to pay Crye a royalty for using Mulitcam. They also avoided having to pay Crye anything in order to buy out Mulitcam from them and they also avoided having to pay a winner of the camo trials for their submission even though that would have been a flat fee buyout.

  21. Haji says:

    As a totally outside observer but being in an industry affected by the decision, my concern is that if they decide to replace Scorpion later on down the road, the way the CIE was handled may keep some very good submissions from small companies out of the mix. From the outside, it looks like the decision took companies that invested a large sum of money in the competition and took them out of the running, like they were never really in it even if they were a down-select.

  22. Airborne1971 says:

    Any word yet on boots and t-shirts?

  23. Steven S says:

    You know that something has gotten out of hand, when no on puts their name on it….

    While a improvement over UCP, all of this time and money, just to get a 2nd rate pattern is unacceptable for the US Army, it should be better than this. While I do not know for 100 percent that the scorpion W2 does not have a texture matching micro pattern, if it looks like anything similar to the original, and that the reports stating that it looks similar to Multicam are true, then it won’t have one. This is one of the greatest advancements in this field which was discovered in the early 90s, and now, the pattern the Army will be using for years to come, will be lacking it…

    I understand that we can’t get the “best” all of the time, but if we have put that much money, time, and effort into this camouflage endeavor, I expect the best or near damn close to it. Anything below that standard is unacceptable as a American and is a waste of taxpayer money.

    My last hope is that someone in the DoD has some leadership and some balls, to take charge and stop this nonsense. It’s so bad that now we have 3 entities within the same organisation asking companies out there for the same thing (jungle materials), that is unacceptable and is pure nonsense.

    Just writing this reply makes my blood boil and depress me at the same time…

  24. Foggy_D says:

    Does this signal the end of the price premium on Multicam gear?

    • SSD says:

      No, why would it?

    • straps says:

      Multicam is expensive to print.

      UCP is a 2-ink pattern (light grayish foliage, dark greenish foliage on tan fabric). “Registering” this is fairly easy because it’s two colors and straight lines. No license.

      OCP/Multicam is a 5-ink pattern consisting the brown spots and 2 pair of 2-color gradients. This is the opposite extreme in terms of complexity, as the shapes are organic and when gradients fall out of register (due to mis-aligned printing screens) they become “anti-camo.” Also, it’s licensed.

      Also, Multicam has cold spots (the expanse of tan where the pattern repeats that textile printers can use to align their equipment) that some gear makers don’t like using because a small pouch basically becomes a solid-colored object.

      Multicam–and Scorpion (presuming that private sector manufacturers are “allowed” access to it) may get cheaper through economy of scale but will always be more expensive to print than anything derived from Y2K digipat.

      • Foggy_D says:

        I was not referring to the relative costs to produce.
        And I’m not disagreeing that it will remain more expensive that such patterns as UCP.
        I just can’t see how the premium demanded by Crye for it being OCP will be sustainable once Scorpion is in full production. People will no longer be willing to pay so much more for it and that lowered demand should drive down prices if Crye opts to keep producing it or wants to unload older stock.
        I would think Scorpion would then fetch the premium price.
        Just my thoughts…

        • SSD says:

          I don’t believe you are going to see commercial Scorpion. Based on what I know right now, I expect it to be a controlled government pattern.

      • Foggy_D says:

        PS: Thanks for the detailed information on the patterns.
        I learned something new today. 🙂

    • CAVstrong says:

      Is it real?

      I like it! I like the Uniform Modifications too!!

      • Hardchawger says:

        Seems like the flaps on the sleeve pockets will be removed. I wish they could modify the cut like the changes with the BDU back in the day. Remember the Elvis collar and the blouse tabs? Didn’t work but the point is there were mods at some point. Maybe they want us to have the option of rolling sleeves up next year. Lol

        Overall, looks the same as my multicams issued to me for OEF.

        • Hardchawger says:

          Yes, I was able to zoom and see beyond the initial blur. They were talking about putting zippers on the pockets. Another change I don’t like.

      • Hardchawger says:

        Seriously, they need to remove the Mandarin collar and Velcro because I’m never allowed to be sterile anyway.

        • CAVstrong says:

          Agreed Mandarin collar is useless and I don’t know anyone that actually uses it.

          As for the pattern. It is clearly different than Multicam. The blobs appear different and there are no vertical elements that I can see.

          Again if these are real…..this is an Army Times story after all.

    • Really?! says:

      I don’t want to speculate too much about the bookend patterns, but… This pattern is closer in appearance to M81-Woodland/3-Color Desert, than MARPAT Woodland/Desert. I am sure the brass has noticed this as well, but who knows what to expect anymore? I am not stating a preference here. …Just making an observation.

  25. CAVstrong says:

    Point of Clarification,
    I’ve seen a lot of people talking here in the comments like they know and to be perfectly frank they seem to be contradicting each other and now I’m confused.

    So who exactly owns –
    Scorpion
    Scorpion W2

  26. Hardchawger says:

    I just had a Army retiree from the 90s tell me that Scorpion is simply a modified version of the BDU. And he is so right. 🙂

  27. tom says:

    Would love to roll my sleeves with this new camo