• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Defence Engage
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2023

BRITISH ARMY TO GET NEW CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORM

December 22, 2009 by

20 Dec 09. Daniel Emery Technology Reporter for BBC News reported that
the British Army camouflage uniform is to be changed for the first time in almost 40 years. The new Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) will replace the traditional four colour woodland uniform known as No.8: Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM). Forces in Afghanistan will start to get the new uniforms in March next year, with the whole army upgraded by 2011.

MTP is designed for a wide range of environments, including the volatile “green zone” of Helmand province. British troops in Afghanistan currently use a mix of desert camouflage and temperate DPM, depending on which area they are operating in.

There are three main types of terrain in Helmand – desert, the agricultural “green zone” either side of the Helmand river, and residential areas with dusty buildings and mud huts.

One soldier said that the mix-and-match was far from ideal and made units stand out, especially in the “green zone”.

Not perfect

Lt Col Toby Evans – a military advisor with the Government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory – told the BBC the new uniform was a compromise between having a uniform that was perfectly suited to a specific environments and one that would work well across a wide
range of conditions.

Why armies switched from colours to camouflage uniforms

“We’ve realised that Afghanistan is more complex – especially Helmand – than, say Iraq, which was predominantly a desert background or north-west Europe, which was predominantly green,” he said.

“The new camouflage is optimised for all the Afghan background colour sets and in doing so we never reach a point – which we did with the old colours – where it is actually wrong.

“It may not be quite perfect, but its good enough for everything,” he added.

The Army’s Infantry Trials and Development Unit and the government’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory tested a number of different designs in the UK, Cyprus, Kenya, and Afghanistan before selecting the MTP design.

Developed by Crye Precision, MTP is developed from the firm’s MultiCam pattern, currently used by some special forces units.

‘Looks good’

Corporal Adrian Gibbs, from The Grenadier Guards, told BBC News his first impressions of seeing the new MTP uniform.

“I think it’s good – when you see it compared to the green and desert DPM I think it will work well both on tour and within the UK itself.

“This new uniform will make it harder for us to be seen and so much easier for us to do our job.”

The MoD say the dark green DPM uniforms will slowly be phased out and replaced by MTP. However the current No.5: Desert combat dress will remain in service and be used along side the Multi-Terrain Pattern.

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • KME logo
  • DSEi
  • sibylline logo
  • Team Thunder logo
  • Commando Spirit - Blended Scoth Whisy
  • Comtech logo
Hilux Military Raceday Novemeber 2023 Chepstow

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

    February 3, 2023
    Read more
  • VETERANS UPDATE

    February 3, 2023
    Read more
  • MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE

    February 3, 2023
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2023.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT