Military Camouflage

Military camouflage refers to any method used to render military forces less detectable to enemy forces. In practice, it is the application of colour and materials to battledress and military equipment to conceal them from visual observation. 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 by air combined to expand the field of fire, and camouflage was widely used to decrease the danger of being targeted. As such, military camouflage is a form of military deception.

Previously known as concealing coloration or deceptive concealment, military camouflage was first practised in the mid 18th century by jäger- or rifleman units armed with rifles. The nature of their tasks required something else than the bright contrasting colours commonly used for uniforms back then, and they were issued green and later other drab colour uniforms to allowing for more modern tactics. With the advent of more advanced weapons, camouflage became common to most aspects of armed combat.

The intent of camouflage patterning is to disrupt an outline so as to make a target harder to identify, or to confuse an observer as to its nature. Some modern camouflage textiles, e.g. CADPAT, address visibility in the near infrared as well as visible light for concealment from night vision devices. Different countries have taken different paths towards the development of military camouflage.