Do The Camouflage Patterns Of The U.S. Military Put Our Soldiers At Risk

The Irresponsibly Stupid And Dangerous Camouflage Patterns Of The U.S. Military -- D.B. Grady, The Week

You'd think the military would want uniform patterns that keep its members safe. And yet somehow, "distinctiveness" has trumped safety

When the Marine Corps selected a digital pattern for its combat uniform in 2002, the U.S. military as a whole seemed to fracture, with each branch wandering aimlessly in a bizarre search for sartorial identity. It's been a long, strange trip since. So let's take a brief look at the camouflage patterns of the U.S. military, and the sorry stories of their adoptions.

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My Comment: It could be worse .... our soldiers could be dressed like this.

The Anti-Drone Hoodie

Clothes for the 'fashionably paranoid': The Stealth Wear line of anti-surveillance which clothing has gone on display at a West London boutique this week and includes an anti-drone hoodie

The Anti-Drone Hoodie Which Can Make Its Wearer Invisible To Spies In The Sky -- Daily Mail

* U.S. artist showcasing 'Stealth Wear' clothing range at London boutique
* Conceived in response to use of military-style surveillance on civilians
* He jokes his target market will be the 'fashionably paranoid'

Those concerned about the conspiratorial machinations of the state surveillance infrastructure can now swap their tin-foil hats for a more fashion conscious accessory.

A New York-based artist has designed an 'anti-drone hoodie' stitched from metallised material used to counter the infra-red cameras that spy drones use to spot people on the ground.

It is part of a line of high-tech 'Stealth Wear' that can thwart cameras and block tracking signals, which has been unveiled in London this week.

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My Comment: I commented on this story last week .... it appears to be catching on.

Why Is There A War Over A Camouflage Pattern?

Why Is The Marine Corps Fighting With The Navy Over A Camouflage Pattern? -- The Atlantic

Military combat uniforms have two purposes: to camouflage soldiers, and to hold together in rugged conditions. It stands to reason that there's only one "best" pattern, and one best stitching and manufacture. It should follow that when such a uniform is developed, the entire military should transition to it.

In 2002, the Marine Corps adopted a digital camouflage pattern called MARPAT. Rigorous field-testing proved that it was more effective than the splotched woodland pattern in use at the time, and the Combat Utility Uniform (of which it was a part) was a striking change for such a conservative institution.

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My Comment: The war between the services definitely exists .... at least over camouflage pattern designs.

Invisible Soldiers Now A Reality

 

My Comment: If developed properly, this will be a game changer on the battlefield.

How Camouflage Make-Up Is Saving Soldiers Lives

All-In-One Magic Makeup Camouflages Soldiers, Repels Mosquitoes AND Protects Against Bomb Blasts -- Daily Mail

* Makeup can protect soldiers against intense explosions up to 600 degrees Celsius
* Scientists used silicone so it can't melt in high heat
* Face paint also contains a mosquito repellant, is waterproof and non-irritating

Scientists have developed camouflage makeup that not only helps soldiers hide from the enemy, but also shields them from the searing heat of bomb blasts – and it’s thinner than a sheet of paper.

The heat-resistant face paint, developed for the US military, has been described as one of the most fundamental changes in thousands of years to camouflage, and could also benefit fire fighters.

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My Comment: Parts of the skin will still be exposed (i.e. eyes, hair, etc.) .... but this is a smart approach to better protect our soldiers. There is more info on this development here.

How HyperStealth’s Algorithms Build Better Camo

A mock-up of HyperStealth’s Quantum Stealth technology. Photo: HyperStealth

Discreet by Design: How HyperStealth’s Algorithms Build Better Camo -- Danger Room

Guy Cramer was annoyed by the cost of Canada’s newest military uniform redesign. He’d been interested in camo since the ‘80s, when he wore it as a professional paintballer. He decided he could do better, so Cramer invested in a $100 design program, spent an hour retooling the pattern and posted the critique online.

This was back in 2003, when Cramer was selling plumbing supplies and working on science projects in his free time. A year later, Cramer gets a call from Jordan’s military office. The king, they said, wanted him to redesign the country’s uniforms. Within three months, Cramer whiped them up a new pattern.

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My Comment: I look forward to the day when they can be invisible.

Can One Make Armoured Vehicles Look Like Cows?

New technology: An invisibility cloak could help disguise military tanks in the middle

I'm Sure I Saw A Tank Moo-ve: 'Invisibility Cloak' Could Make Armoured vehicles Look Like Cows -- Daily Mail

Military scientists have designed a new invisibility cloak which could protect tanks from heat seeking missiles.



The new technology has scanners to read nearby buildings and terrain and can reproduce their pattern of hot and cold on panels on the hull of the vehicle.



An infrared image is then produced, allowing the machine to blend into it's environment and ultimately tricking the enemy into thinking it might be a car or even a cow.



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My Comment: Impressive .... it if works.