Yesterday, the Dutch Telegraph released a special edition of their newspaper, regarding the 200 year anniversary of the Dutch Army. Below, you can see a photo of the report which claims that the Dutch Army has adopted Netherlands Fractal Pattern (NFP) as their official new camouflage. The story does not mention the Dutch Royal Marines who continue to wear M81 Woodland camouflage. However, they may well make the transition to NFP as well. Although the article states that no one has been chosen to manufacture the uniforms yet, they will feature FR and insect repellant properties.
The article goes on to state that another feature of NFP, which took one-and-a-half years to develop by a collaborative effort between TNO and Dutch MoD, is that it’s recognizable. Ben Vlasman, head of the Joint Soldier Systems Knowledge Centre (joint kenniscentrum militair & uitrusting), says it’s not just to camouflage, but also offers something recognizable for other troops and civilians.
NFP is currently offered in two variants; Green aka Woodland and Tan aka Arid. To develop the colorways, they sent soldiers to the area of operations with a camera and a color card in ordeer to determine the dominant colors in each area.
The article did not mention which pattern would be adopted for use with camouflage pattern for equipment such as plate carriers. What’s more, the Dutch Army must still determine a way ahead for armor (ie plate carrier or armor vest). Considering the current state of the art it is probable that the vest will be modular is probable. The article mentions two scenarios in particular; worn lightly for a patrol in the jungle, or worn heavily when at a roadblock.
Thanks Robert!
