Military camouflage Military camouflage is the use of camouflage by a military force to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces . In practice , this means applying colour and materials to military equipment of all kinds , including vehicles , ships , aircraft , gun positions and battledress , either to conceal it from observation ( crypsis ) , or to make it appear as something else ( mimicry ) . The French slang word " camouflage " came into common English usage during World War I when the concept of visual deception developed into an essential part of modern military tactics . In that war , long - range artillery and observation from the air combined to expand the field of fire , and camouflage was widely used to decrease the danger of being targeted or to enable surprise . As such , military camouflage is a form of military deception . Camouflage was first practised in simple form in the mid 18th century by jäger - or rifle units . Their tasks required them to be inconspicuous , and they were issued green and later other drab colour uniforms . With the advent of longer range and more accurate weapons , especially the repeating rifle , camouflage was adopted for the uniforms of all armies , spreading to most forms of military equipment including ships and aircraft . Some modern camouflage textiles such as CADPAT address visibility not only to visible light but also near infrared , for concealment from night vision devices . Camouflage is not only visual ; heat , sound , magnetism and even smell can be used to target weapons , and may be intentionally concealed . Camouflage was extensively developed for military use by the French in 1915 , soon followed by other World War I armies . In both world wars , artists were recruited as camouflage officers . Ship camouflage developed via conspicuous dazzle camouflage schemes during WWI , but since the development of radar , ship camouflage has received less attention . Aircraft , especially in World War II , were often painted with different schemes above and below , to camouflage them against the ground and sky respectively . Military camouflage patterns have been popular in fashion and art from as early as 1919 . Camouflage patterns have appeared in the work of artists such as Andy Warhol and Ian Hamilton Finlay , sometimes with an anti - war message . In fashion , many major designers have exploited camouflage ' s style and symbolism , and military clothing or imitations of it have been used both as street wear and as a symbol of political protest . Principles . Military camouflage is part of the art of military deception . The main objective of military camouflage is to deceive the enemy as to the presence , position and intentions of military formations . Camouflage techniques include concealment , disguise , and dummies , applied to troops , vehicles , and positions . Vision is the main sense of orientation in humans , and the primary function of camouflage is to deceive the human eye . Camouflage works through concealment ( whether by countershading , preventing casting shadows , or disruption of outlines ) , mimicry , or possibly by dazzle . In modern warfare , some forms of camouflage also offer concealment from radar and from infrared sensors . Compromises . While camouflage tricks are in principle limitless , both cost and practical considerations limit the choice of methods and the time and effort devoted to camouflage . Paint and uniforms must also protect vehicles and soldiers from the elements . Units need to move , fire their weapons and perform other tasks to keep functional , some of which run counter to camouflage . Camouflage may be dropped altogether . Late in the Second World War , the USAAF abandoned camouflage paint for some aircraft to lure enemy fighters to attack , while in the Cold War , some aircraft similarly flew with polished metal skins , to reduce drag and weight , or to reduce vulnerability to radiation from nuclear weapons . No single camouflage pattern is effective in all terrains . The effectiveness of a pattern depends on contrast as well as colour tones . Strong contrasts which disrupt outlines are better suited for environments such as forests where the play of light and shade is prominent , while low contrasts are better suited to open terrain with little shading structure . Patterns made to match the local terrain may be more effective in that terrain than more general patterns . However , unlike an animal or a civilian hunter , military units may need to cross several terrain types like woodland , farmland and built up areas in a single day . While civilian hunting clothing may have almost photo - realistic depictions of tree bark or leaves ( indeed , some such patterns are based on photographs ) , military camouflage is designed to work in a range of environments . With the cost of uniforms in particular being substantial , most armies operating globally have two separate full uniforms , one for woodland / jungle and one for desert and other dry terrain . An American attempt at a global camouflage pattern for all environments ( the 2004 UCP ) was however withdrawn after a few years of service . On the other end of the scale are terrain specific patterns like the " Berlin camo " , applied to British vehicles operating in Berlin during the Cold War , where square fields of various gray shades was designed to hide vehicles against the mostly concrete architecture of post - war Berlin . Seasons may play a role in some regions . A dramatic change in colour and texture is created by seasonal snowy conditions in northern latitudes , necessitating repainting of vehicles and separate snow oversuits . The Eastern European countries has a tradition for separate winter uniforms rather than oversuits . During the Second World War , the Waffen - SS went a step further , developing reversible uniforms with separate schemes for summer and autumn , as well as white winter oversuits . Movement . While patterns can provide more effective crypsis than solid colour when the camouflaged object is stationary , any pattern , particularly one with high contrast , stands out when the object is moving . Jungle camouflage uniforms were issued during the Second World War , but both the British and American forces found that a simple green uniform provided better camouflage when soldiers were moving . After the war , most nations returned to a unicoloured uniform for their troops . Some nations , notably Austria and Israel continue to use solid colour combat uniforms today . Similarly , while larger military aircraft traditionally had a disruptive pattern with a darker top over a lighter lower surface ( a form of countershading ) , modern fast fighter aircraft often wear gray overall . Pattern scale and digitization . The scale of camouflage patterns has an obvious effect on their use . Large structures need larger patterns than smaller vehicles and single soldiers to disrupt their shape . At the same time , large patterns are more effective from afar , while small scale patterns work better up close . During the Second World War , Johann Georg Otto Schick designed a number of patterns for the Waffen - SS , combining micro - and macro - patterns in one scheme . The German Army developed the idea further in the 1970s into Flecktarn , which combines smaller shapes with dithering ; this softens the edges of the large scale pattern , making the underlying objects harder to discern . Pixellated shapes pre - date computer aided design by many years , already being used in Soviet Union experiments with camouflage patterns , such as " TTsMKK " developed in 1944 or 1945 . The pattern uses areas of olive green , sand , and black pixels running together in broken patches at a range of scales . In the 1970s , US army officer Timothy R . O ' Neill suggested that patterns consisting of square blocks of colour would provide effective camouflage . This aroused little interest at the time , but by 2000 , O ' Neill ' s idea was combined with patterns like the German " Flecktarn " to create pixellated patterns like CADPAT or MARPAT . Battledress in digital camouflage patterns was first designed by the Canadian Forces . The " digital " refers to the coordinates of the pattern , which are digitally defined . The term is also used of computer generated patterns like the non - pixellated Multicam and the Italian fractal " Vegetato " pattern . According to the patent for MARPAT , pixellation does not in itself contribute to the camouflaging effect . The pixellated style , however , simplifies design and eases printing on fabric , compared to more traditional " splotchy " patterns . While pixellated patterns are becoming widespread , critics maintain that the pixellated look is a question of fashion rather than function . However , the basis of " digital " camouflage was lost in tech reports ; the design technique actually has three purposes : ( 1 ) to add high spatial frequency texture components that add concealment at closer ranges , ( 2 ) to modify visual processing of edges , and ( 3 ) to produce intermediate colours by a dithering effect . " Digitizing " a pattern does not of itself improve performance ; the design process is actually more complex , and involves color and contrast as well as overall disruptive effect of specific pattern geometry . A failure to consider all elements of pattern design tends to result in poor results . The US Army ' s universal camouflage pattern ( UCP ) , for example , performed poorly because of low pattern contrast ( " isoluminance " — beyond very close range , the design looks like a field of solid light gray ) and arbitrary color selection , neither of which could be saved by quantizing ( digitizing ) the pattern geometry . Non - visual . With the birth of radar and sonar and other means of detecting military hardware not depending on the human eye , came means of camouflaging against them . Collectively these are known as stealth technology . Aircraft and ships can be shaped to reflect radar impulses away from the sender , and covered with radar - absorbing material s , to reduce their radar signature . The use of heat - seeking missiles has also led to efforts to hide the heat signature of aircraft engines . Methods include exhaust ports shaped to mix hot exhaust gases with cold surrounding air , and placing the exhaust ports on the upper side of the airframe . Auditory camouflage , at least in the form of noise reduction , is practised in various ways . The rubberized hull of military submarine s absorbs sonar waves and can be seen as a form of auditory camouflage . Some modern helicopter s are designed to be quiet . Combat uniforms are usually equipped with buttons rather than snap fastener s or velcro to reduce noise . Olfactory camouflage is said to be rare ; examples include ghillie suit s , special garments for military sniper s made from strips of hessian cloth , which are sometimes treated with mud and even manure to give them an " earthy " smell to cover the smell of the sniper . Magnetic camouflage in the form of " degaussing " coils has been used since the Second World War to protect ships from magnetic mine s and other weapons with magnetic sensors . Horizontal coils around the whole or parts of the ship generate magnetic field s to " cancel out " distortions to the earth ' s magnetic field created by the ship . History . Reconnaissance and riflemen . Ship camouflage was occasionally used in ancient times . Vegetius wrote in the 4th century that " Venetian blue " ( bluish - green , like the sea ) was used for camouflage in the years 56 – 54 BC during the Gallic Wars , when Julius Caesar sent his scout ships to gather intelligence along the coast of Britain . The bluish - green scout ships carried sailors and marines dressed in the same colour . The emphasis on hand - to - hand combat , and the short range of weapons such as the musket , meant that recognition and cohesion was more important than camouflage in combat clothing well into the baroque period . The introduction of infantry weapons with longer range , especially the Baker rifle , opened up new roles which needed camouflaged clothing . In the colonial Seven Years ' War ( 1756 – 1763 ) , the rifle - armed Rogers ' Rangers wore gray or green uniforms . John Graves Simcoe , one of the unit ' s later commanders , noted in 1784 : Green is without comparison the best colour for light troops with dark accouterments ; and if put on in the spring , by autumn it nearly fades with the leaves , preserving its characteristic of being scarcely discernible at a distance . The tradition was continued by British Rifle Regiments who adopted rifle green for the Napoleonic Wars . Portugal , during the Peninsular War , fielded light infantry known as Cacadores who wore brown - jackets which helped conceal them . Other nations soon followed suit , dressing their rifle regiments and sometimes also light troops in suitable drab tones , usually variations of green or gray . In 1846 , British Corps of Guides in India started dressing after local fashion in cotton coloured with the mazari palm , producing a dusty brown called khaki , from the Hindi - Urdu word for " dusty " . The example was followed by other British units during the mutiny of 1857 , dying their white drill uniforms to inconspicuous tones with mud , tea , coffee or coloured inks . The resulting hue varied from dark or slate grey through light brown to off - white , or sometimes even lavender . This improvised measure gradually became widespread among the troops stationed in India and North - West Frontier , and sometimes among the troops campaigning on the African continent . Rifle fire . While long range rifles became the standard weapon in the 1830s , armies were slow to adapt their tactics and uniforms , perhaps as a result of mainly fighting colonial wars against less well armed opponents . Not until the First Boer War of 1880 / 81 did a major European power meet an opponent well equipped with and well versed in the use of modern long range repeating firearms , forcing an immediate change in tactics and uniforms . Khaki - coloured uniform became standard service dress for both British and British Indian Army troops stationed in British India in 1885 , and in 1896 khaki drill uniform was adopted by British Army for the service outside of Europe in general , but not until the Second Boer War , in 1902 , did the entire British Army standardise on khaki ( officially known as " drab " ) for Service Dress . The US military , who had green - jacketed rifle units in the Civil War , were quick to follow the British , going khaki in the same year . Russia followed , partially , in 1908 . The Italian Army used " grigio - verde " ( " grey - green " ) in the Alps from 1906 and across the army from 1909 . The Germans adopted " feldgrau " ( " field grey " ) in 1910 . By the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 , France was the only major power to still field soldiers dressed in traditional conspicuous uniforms . The Great War . The First World War was the first full scale industrial conflict fought with modern firearms . The hellish conditions on the Western Front forced the French to finally relinquish their blue coats and red trousers , adopting a grayish " horizon blue " uniform . The use of rapid firing machine gun s and long range breech loading artillery quickly led to camouflaging of vehicles and positions . Artillery pieces were soon painted in contrasting bold colours to obscure their outlines . Another early trend was building observation trees , made of steel with bark camouflage . Such trees became popular with the British and French armies in 1916 . The observation tree was invented by French painter Lucien - Victor Guirand de Scévola , who led the French army ' s camouflage unit , the first of its kind in any army . He also invented painted canvas netting to hide machine gun positions , and this was quickly taken up for hiding equipment and gun positions from 1917 , 7 million square yards being used by the end of the war . The First World War also saw the birth of aerial warfare , and with it the need not only to conceal positions and vehicles from being spotted from the air , but also the need to camouflage the aircraft themselves . In 1917 , Germany started using a lozenge camouflage covering Central Powers aircraft , possibly the earliest printed camouflage . A similarly disruptive splinter pattern in earth tones , " Buntfarbenanstrich 1918 " , was introduced for tank s in 1918 , and was also used on the Stahlhelm ( steel helmet ) , becoming the first use of a standardized camouflage pattern for soldiers . " Camoufleurs " . In 1892 an American artist and amateur zoologist , Abbott Thayer published a book , " Concealing - Coloration in the Animal Kingdom " , which was widely read by military leaders , though his advocacy of countershading was unsuccessful , despite his patent for countershading submarines and surface ships . The earliest camouflage artists were members of the Post - Impressionist and Fauve schools of France . Contemporary artistic movements such as cubism , vorticism and impressionism also influenced the development of camouflage as they dealt with disrupting outlines , abstraction and colour theory . The French established a " Section de Camouflage " ( Camouflage Department ) at Amiens in 1915 , headed by de Scévola . His " camoufleurs " included the artists Jacques Villon , André Dunoyer de Segonzac , Charles Camoin and André Mare . Camouflage schemes of the First World War and Interwar periods that employed dazzle patterns were often described as " cubist " by commentators , and Picasso claimed with typical hyperbole " Yes , it is we who made it , that is cubism " . Most of the artists employed as " camoufleurs " were traditional representative painters , not cubists , but de Scévola claimed " In order to deform totally the aspect of the object , I had to employ the means that cubists use to represent it . " Other countries soon saw the advantage of camouflage , and established their own units of artists , designers and architects . The British established a Camouflage Section in late 1916 at Wimereux , and the U . S . followed suit with the New York Camouflage Society in April 1917 , the official Company A of 40th Engineers in January 1918 and the Women ' s Reserve Camouflage Corps . The Italians set up the " Laboratorio di mascheramento " in 1917 . By 1918 de Scévola was in command of camouflage workshops with over 9 , 000 workers , not counting the " camoufleurs " working at the front itself . From the Second World War . Printed camouflage for shelter halves was introduced for the Italian and German armies in the interwar period , the " splotchy " M1929 Telo mimetico in Italy and the angular Splittermuster 31 in Germany . During the War , both patterns were used for paratrooper uniforms for their respective countries . The British soon followed suit with a brush - stroke type pattern for their paratrooper smock , and the Soviets introduced an " amoeba " pattern overgarment for their snipers . Hugh Cott ' s 1940 book " Adaptive Coloration in Animals " systematically covered the different forms of camouflage and mimicry by which animals protect themselves , and explicitly drew comparisons throughout with military camouflage : Both British and Soviet aircraft were given wave - type camouflage paintwork for their upper surfaces throughout the war , while American ones remained simple two - colour schemes ( different upper and under sides ) or even dispensed with camouflage altogether . Italian and some Japanese aircraft wore sprayed - on spotted patterns . German aircraft mostly used an angular splint - pattern camouflage , but Germany experimented with different schemes , particularly in the later stages of the war . They also experimented with various spray - on camouflage patterns for tanks and other vehicles , while Allied vehicles remained largely uni - coloured . The British Middle East Command Camouflage Directorate , consisting mainly of artists recruited into the Royal Engineers , developed the use of camouflage for large - scale military deception . Operations combined the disguise of actual installations , vehicles and stores with the simultaneous display of dummies , whether to draw fire or to give a false idea of the strength of forces or likely attack directions . In Operation Bertram for the decisive battle at El Alamein , a whole dummy armoured division was constructed , while real tanks were disguised as soft - skinned transport using " Sunshield " covers . The capabilities so developed were put to use not only in the western desert , but also in Europe as in the Operation Bodyguard deception for the Invasion of Normandy , and in the Pacific campaign , as in the Battle of Goodenough Island . The introduction of strategic bombing led to efforts to camouflage airfields and strategic production centres . These forms of position camouflages could be quite elaborate , and even include false houses and cars . With the threat from nuclear weapon s in the post - war era such elaborate camouflage was no longer seen as useful , as a direct hit would not be necessary with strategic nuclear weapon s to destroy infrastructure . The Soviet Union ' s military doctrine of " maskirovka " ( literally : disguise , camouflage , concealment ) defines the need for surprise through deception , including camouflage , based on experiences such as the Battle of Kursk where camouflage helped the Red Army to overwhelm a powerful enemy . Application . Uniforms . The role of uniform is not only to hide each soldier , but also to identify friend from foe . Issue of the " Frogskin " uniforms to US troops in Europe during the Second World War was halted as it was too often mistaken for the German Waffen - SS uniform . Camouflage uniforms need to be made and distributed to a large number of soldiers . The design of camouflage uniforms therefore involves a tradeoff between camouflaging effect , recognizability , cost , and manufacturability . Armies facing service in different theatres may need several different camouflage uniforms . Separate issues of temperate / jungle and desert camouflage uniforms are common . Patterns can to some extent be adapted to different terrains by adding means of fastening pieces of vegetation to the uniform . Helmets often have netting covers ; some jackets have small loops for the same purpose . Being able to find appropriate camouflage vegetation or in other ways modify the issued battle uniform to suit the local terrain is an important skill for infantry soldiers . Countries in boreal climates often need snow camouflage , either by having reversible uniforms or simple over garments . Such simple overgarments can be used for other terrains too . The Austrian and Israeli armies use solid colour field uniforms , relying on simple overgarments for camouflage . Land vehicles . The purpose of vehicle and equipment camouflage differs from personal camouflage in that the primary threat is aerial reconnaissance . The goal is to disrupt the characteristic shape of the vehicle , to reduce shine , and to make the vehicle difficult to identify even if it is spotted . Paint is the least effective measure , but forms a basis for other techniques . Military vehicles often become so dirty that pattern - painted camouflage is not visible , and although matt colours reduce shine , a wet vehicle can still be shiny , especially when viewed from above . Patterns are designed to make it more difficult to interpret shadows and shapes . The British Army adopted a disruptive scheme for vehicles operating in the stony desert of the North African Campaign and Greece , retrospectively known as the Caunter scheme . It used up to six colours applied with straight lines . The British Army ' s Special Air Service used pink as the primary colour on its desert - camouflaged Land Rover Series IIA patrol vehicles , nicknamed " Pink Panthers " ; the colour had been observed to be indistinguishable from sand at a distance . Nets can be effective at defeating visual observation . Traditional camouflage nets use a textile ' garnish ' to generate an apparent texture with a depth of shadow created beneath it , and the effect can be reinforced with pieces of vegetation . Modern nets tend to be made of a continuous woven material , which is easier to deploy over a vehicle and lack the " windows " between patches of garnish of traditional nets . Some nets can remain in place while vehicles move . Simple nets are less effective in defeating radar and thermal sensors . Heavier , more durable " mobile camouflage systems " , essentially conformal duvets with thermal and radar properties , provide a degree of concealment without the delay caused by having to spread nets around a vehicle . Ships . Until the 20th century , naval weapons had a short range , so camouflage was unimportant for ships , and for the men on board them . Paint schemes were selected on the basis of ease of maintenance or aesthetics , typically buff upperworks ( with polished brass fittings ) and white or black hulls . Around the start of the 20th century , the increasing range of naval engagements , as demonstrated by the Battle of Tsushima , prompted the introduction of the first camouflage , in the form of some solid shade of gray overall , in the hope that ships would fade into the mist . First and Second World War dazzle camouflage , pioneered by English artist Norman Wilkinson , was used not to make ships disappear , but to make them seem smaller and / or faster , to encourage misidentification by an enemy and to make the ships harder to hit . After the Second World War , the use of radar made camouflage generally less effective . However , camouflage may have helped to protect US warships from Vietnamese shore batteries using optical rangefinders . Coastal patrol boats such as those of the Norwegian , Swedish and Indonesian navies continue to use terrestrial style disruptively patterned camouflage . Aircraft . Aircraft camouflage faces the challenge that an aircraft ' s background varies widely , according to whether the observer is above or below the aircraft , and with the background , e . g . farmland or desert . Aircraft camouflage schemes have often consisted of a light colour underneath and darker colours above . Other camouflage schemes acknowledge that aircraft may be seen at any angle and against any background while in combat , so aircraft are painted all over with a disruptive pattern or a neutral colour such as gray . Second World War maritime patrol aircraft such as the Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat were painted white , as aircraft generally appear dark against the sky ( including at night ) , and hence are least visible when painted in as light a colour as possible . The problem of appearing dark against the sky was explored in the U . S . Navy ' s Yehudi lights project in 1943 , using counter - illumination to raise the average brightness of a plane , when seen head - on , from a dark shape to the same as the sky . The experiments worked , enabling an aircraft to approach to within before being seen , whereas aircraft without the lights were noticed away . The higher speeds of modern aircraft , and the reliance on radar and missiles in air combat have reduced the value of visual camouflage , while increasing the value of electronic " stealth " measures . Modern paint is designed to absorb electromagnetic radiation used by radar , reducing the signature of the aircraft , and to limit the emission of infrared light used by heat seeking missiles to detect their target . Further advances in aircraft camouflage are being investigated in the field of active camouflage . In fashion and art . Fashion and the " Dazzle Ball " . The transfer of camouflage patterns from battle to exclusively civilian uses is not recent . Dazzle camouflage inspired a trend of dazzlesque patterns used on clothing in England , starting in 1919 with the " Dazzle Ball " held by Chelsea Arts Club . Those attending wore dazzle - patterned black and white clothing , influencing twentieth - century fashion and art via postcards ( see illustration ) and magazine articles . The Illustrated London News announced Camouflage in art . While many artists helped to develop camouflage during and since World War I , the disparate sympathies of the two cultures restrained the use of " militaristic " forms other than in the work of war artist s . Since the 1960s , several artists have exploited the symbolism of camouflage . For example , Andy Warhol ' s 1986 camouflage series was his last major work , including Camouflage Self - Portrait . Alain Jacquet created many camouflage works from 1961 to the 1970s . Alighiero Boetti ' s 1966 / 67 work " Mimetico " ( camouflage ) was simply a section of the pioneering Italian " telo mimetico " camouflage fabric on a frame , as part of his " Arte Povera " program . Ian Hamilton Finlay ' s 1973 " Arcadia " was a screenprint of a leafily - camouflaged tank , " an ironic parallel between this idea of a natural paradise and the camouflage patterns on a tank " , as the Tate Collection describes it . Veruschka , the pseudonym of Vera von Lehndorff and Holger Trülzsch , created " Nature , Signs & Animals " and " Mimicry - Dress - Art " in 1970 – 73 . Thomas Hirschhorn made " Utopia : One World , One War , One Army , One Dress " in 2005 . War protesters and fashionistas . In the US in the 1960s , military clothing became increasingly common ( mostly olive drab rather than patterned camouflage ) ; it was often found worn by anti - war protestors , initially within groups such as Vietnam Veterans Against the War but then increasingly widely as a symbol of political protest . Fashion often uses camouflage as inspiration - attracted by the striking designs , the " patterned disorder " of camouflage , its symbolism ( to be celebrated or subverted [ " vide " its use by Hello Kitty ] ) , and its versatility . Early designers include Marimekko ( 1960s ) , Jean - Charles de Castelbajac ( 1975 - ) , Stephen Sprouse ( using Warhol prints , 1987 – 1988 ) , and Franco Moschino ( 1986 ) , but it was not until the 1990s that camouflage became a significant and widespread facet of dress from streetwear to high - fashion labels - especially the use of " faux - camouflage " . Producers using camouflage in the 1990s and beyond include : John Galliano for Christian Dior , Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton , Comme des Garçons , Chanel , Tommy Hilfiger , Dolce & Gabbana , Issey Miyake , Armani , Yves Saint - Laurent . Companies closely associated with camouflage patterns include 6876 , A Bathing Ape , Stone Island , Stüssy , Maharishi , mhi , Zoo York , Addict , and Girbaud , using and overprinting genuine military surplus fabric ; others use camouflage patterns in bright colours such as pink or purple . Some , such as Emma Lundgren and Stüssy , have created their own designs or integrated camouflage patterns with other symbols . Some countries such as Barbados , Aruba , and other Caribbean nations had laws in force in 1994 prohibiting camouflage clothing from being worn by non - military personnel , including tourists and children .