Camouflage suits? The BBC has reported yesterday that the infantry of Her British Majesty’s Army will be equipped, starting from the month of March 2010, with a new camouflage suit that will replace the one that has been used for more than 40 years without any change.
The MTP (Multi terrain Pattern) model, identified by number 40, will gradually replace the old model number 8, called DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material), which will be out of service within 2011, the scheduled time limit for the entire Army to be upgraded.
Where these camouflage suits will be used?
The new camouflage suits will initially be used in the Afghan theatres of operations where the British Army is deployed. In certain areas where Her Majesty’s soldiers are on duty, the terrain’s morphology can dramatically change within a few miles, therefore a suit which works well in a green zone may turn out useless, if not dangerous, in desert areas where the predominant shade is grey.
The new suit is a good compromise between a terrain-specific kind of design and an all-rounder suitable for diverse environments. Afghanistan, under this point of view, is a harder challenge than Iraq, where the soldiers’ uniforms are mostly woven in colors suitable for hiding on sand.
It has been tested on various terrains in different parts of the world (including Afghanistan itself) before the final approval went to Model 40. The soldiers who have participated in the tests have given an extremely positive feedback, as according to their experience, the new camouflage suits will “make it harder for them to be seen, making their job easier”.