Multicam Camouflage
Multicam has established itself in recent years as an essential camouflage. Used by no less than 38 countries, including France, it is present everywhere: regular armies, special forces, law enforcement, and contractors, among others. Let's take a look at this young camouflage that still has a bright future ahead of it.
Development and Deployment
The origin of Multicam is quite recent, and it all started at Crye Associates, a small New York-based research and development firm founded in 2000. The following year, it won a contract with the US Army to participate in the "Scorpion" project, which was the first phase of the FCS (Future Combat Systems) program. Crye was tasked with completely redesigning the soldier's uniform and equipment. As you might have guessed, Crye's main innovation during this program was undoubtedly Multicam, which was initially unofficially named "Scorpion Pattern." Crye Associates left the program with Multicam in hand and then created Crye Precision, which would be responsible for the production/manufacturing of the firm's products.
Multicam made its first appearance for field tests in 2002, with the first generations of Crye Precision equipment, primarily used by the US Army's special forces (1st SFOD-Delta). However, while Multicam was leading the army's tests, it was ultimately passed over in favor of UCP, which officially became the US Army's camouflage in 2004. The following six years allowed Crye Associates to improve their camouflage and the various compatible equipment, gaining a significant lead over their competitors. Finally, in 2010, following numerous complaints from soldiers finding UCP completely ineffective in the field, Multicam was chosen to equip all operators still present in Afghanistan. The US Army also announced the gradual withdrawal of UCP in favor of "Scorpion W2," a direct descendant of Crye Associates' "Scorpion Pattern."
How Does It Work?
Multicam is based on the concept of enhancing blur, caused by a mix of very specific shades. Indeed, unlike traditional camouflage that blends into the environment by matching colors, it takes advantage of how the human eye and brain perceive shapes and colors to make the wearer assimilate with their surroundings. Such a design makes the camouflage increasingly difficult to distinguish as the distance increases, while blending into the surrounding landscape. Additionally, most of the time, the fabric is treated against thermal and infrared vision, making the user undetectable in certain conditions.
Crye Associates decided to expand its range in 2013: Multicam Arid for desert and rocky areas like Afghanistan, Multicam Tropic for the jungle, which often consists of dense vegetation and is relatively unaffected by climate changes, Multicam Black for law enforcement, and finally Multicam Alpine for snowy areas. These retain the same properties as the original Multicam but enhance its effectiveness in targeted environments.
Impact on Manufacturers
Since 2010, Multicam has continued to develop in theaters of operations worldwide, and most manufacturers have had to adapt. They offer a variant of their products in Multicam, or even use only this color. Victim of its success, Multicam inspires many countries around the world, and many variations appear. Sometimes in collaboration with Crye Precision, like the British MTP, sometimes without a license, like the Polish Suez, notably used by the GROM special forces. We can also mention Pentagon's Pentacamo or the All Terrain Tiger, recently developed by Tiger Stripes for the US Air Force. Each of these variants has proven its effectiveness in the field, and it is not uncommon to see original Multicam associated with one of its variations.
And in France?
In our country, Multicam and its variants have found some users among special forces on an occasional basis, particularly during operations abroad. It also appeals to civilians for outdoor uses such as hunting or airsoft. On Welkit.com, we offer a wide range of products in original Multicam, such as Blackhawk, Blue Force Gear, or Tru-Spec.