Strikehold! has put together a great primer on the first generation Mirage combat uniform. Available in Breacher or Sniper configurations, Bulldog Equipment has been hard at work integrating features based on feedback from users.
Check out the article here. The entire line of Bulldog products can be found at www.bulldog-equipment.us.
According to a report on Strike Hold! the Afghan National Army has selected a new camouflage pattern called appropriately enough, “Afghan Forest”. The uniforms resemble the ACU styling but feature a normal shirt collar.
We have a few new photos of the A-TACS pattern we will be releasing over the net day. We thought this would be a good first image since it is so much different than the previous shots. All of the equipment in the photos is real and the pattern was not photoshopped.
As part of the Army’s plan to investigate options for a Afghanistan theater-specific camouflage pattern, PEO-Soldier is undertaking a photosimulation study of uniform colors and patterns, along with associated Operational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) such as body armor, helmets, and rucksacks, against a variety of backgrounds common to Afghanistan including foliage, high desert, and mountains. Specific emphasis was placed on ensuring accurate RGB values during data collection which occurred earlier this month. The information obtained during this trip has been transformed into a usable test format which will kick off soon, possibly as early as the week after next at Forts Drum, Bragg, and Campbell. Participants will have had recent combat experience in Afghanistan.
The photo, taken in Afghanistan, depicts LTC Mike Sloane, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, presiding over the reenlistment of a Soldier who took part in the camo study. COL Cole of PEO-Soldier commented that this is probably the first reenlistment in history of a Soldier in the All-Over Desert Brush pattern. Desert All Over Brush was one of the patterns used in the data collection effort and will be evaluated as part of this project.
Our friends over at Defense Tech spoke with COL Cole, Program manager for Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment at PEO-Soldier and he revealed the units who will be involved in testing of Crye’s MultiCam and the Army developed UCP-Delta as possible supplemental camouflage patterns.
The unit sporting UCP-Delta is the 3d Squadron of the 61st Cavalry of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and they have already received their test equipment. The 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry of the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division will soon be receiving their complement of MultiCam. Both batÂtalÂions currently operÂate in Afghanistan’s eastÂern Kunar province. Each Soldier involved in testing will receive four uniforms and associated individual equipment in the respective test pattern in addition to a standard RFI issue.
People keep commenting that they don’t understand what is so special about the A-TACS pattern. In order for our readers to get a better idea of what went into the design of A-TACS, we are publishing information provided by Digital Concealment Systems (DCS).
A-TACS® is designed as a universal pattern for a wide range of operational environments with additional supporting color and design variants to follow. The current pattern uses a tan base and is tuned for use in arid environments.
Most of the so-called digital patterns use square pixels to create the distortion effect. These do not replicate the shapes, forms, and shadows of the environment they are deployed in; especially when viewed through optics. This use of ninety-degree angles and limited natural colors can in many cases, make detection easier.
Additionally, the “visual noise” in these same patterns tends to make them close together into a solid color, producing a “blobbing†effect when viewed from a distance. DCS designed A-TACS® to address these critical issues in three ways.
1. – Replace unnatural square pixels with organic pixels. They developed a patented process to create a palette of natural colors digitally sampled from real-world elements in carefully controlled lighting. The pattern is then created using a mathematical algorithm that writes “organically-shaped†pixels using the specific color information given. The resulting pattern while still digital, is far more organic in appearance.
2. – Use small patterns to create larger more distinct shapes designed to work at a distance. Small shapes create larger shapes and larger shapes are organized into a distinct pattern with no horizontal or vertical orientation. This unique “pattern within a pattern” concept allows A-TACS® to effectively break the human outline at great distances thereby, minimizing the “blobbing” effect of other patterns when viewed from a distance.
3. – More effective use of color range produces a better concealment system. A-TACS® is created using a far greater range of inter-mingled natural colors than was previously possible. The overall base color for the cast is a neutral tan which is designed for use in open, rocky, or arid environments. The additional colors mix together to create a greater number of shades.
The information provided by DCS has a couple of great points:
– No vertical or horizontal orientation. This can lead to a higher usable fabric yield for manufacturers.
– It looks like additional patterns for specific environments will be forthcoming
– It is difficult to copy meaning knock-offs should be easy to spot
DCS will release additional information soon. Visit www.a-tacs.com.
