page_title: Universal Camouflage Pattern
section_title: Selection
hierarchical_section_title: Universal Camouflage Pattern / Selection
caption_attribution_description: English: 170514-N-FV745-0256 SANTA ROSA, Philippines (May 14, 2017) A Philippine soldier prepares to fire off a mortar round with U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment during Balikatan 2017 at Fort Magsaysay in Santa Rosa, Philippines. The exercise allows Philippine and U.S. militaries build upon shared tactics, techniques, and procedures that enhance readiness and response capabilities to emerging threats. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine bilateral military exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel James Lewis/Released)
context_page_description: The Universal Camouflage Pattern is a digital military camouflage pattern formerly used by the United States Army in their Army Combat Uniform. The pattern was chosen after laboratory and field tests from 2003 to 2004 showed it to provide the best concealment in many different operational environments. It beat ten other patterns. Its pixelated pattern is similar to the MARPAT and CADPAT camouflage patterns used by the United States Marine Corps and the Canadian Armed Forces, respectively.
  Soldiers in Afghanistan questioned the effectiveness of the all-terrain pattern. The Army then conducted several studies to find a modification or replacement for the standard issue pattern. In July 2014, the Army announced that Operational Camouflage Pattern would replace all UCP-patterned ACU uniforms by the end of September 2019. However, UCP does remain in service in limited capacities, such as on some cold weather overgear and older body armor.
caption: U.S. soldiers in May 2017 wearing the ACU in UCP
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