As if we didn’t already have enough to consider with Marpat, UCP, UCP-D, MultiCam and Desert Brush, in comes another pattern making inroads in the milgear blogosphere.
I’ve been trolling over at our friends Soldier Systems’ site over the past couple days, and the editor over there is obsessed with the development of this new pattern. Not one day after I scoped his post, our partners at Tactical-Life forwarded me an article (that looked more like a press release to me) unveiling the new, multi-environment pattern.
Companies participating in this unprecedented launch include Remington, Bushmaster, DPMS Panther Arms, Danner, EOTAC, Tactical Assault Gear, Blue Force Gear and Emerson Knives.
The the so-called A-TACS pattern departs from today’s “pixel” obsession and goes more along the blended lines, making it easy to slip between environments and still conceal movement.
Many who have seen the pattern comment on how it is unlike any camouflage pattern they have encountered as its chameleon-like qualities cause it to blend into the surrounding environment. This unique “pattern within a pattern” concept allows it to break up the outline of the human body relying on a palette of inter-mingled natural colors over a neutral tan base for use in open, rocky, or arid environments.
And here’s the conglomerate’s explanation for their design:
Many of the modern digital camouflage patterns currently in use by the tactical community have flaws. The square pixels used to create the distortion effect do not replicate the shapes, forms and shadows of the environment they are deployed in-especially when viewed through optics. The ninety-degree angles and limited use of natural colors can in many cases, make detection easier.
Additionally, the “visual noise” in these same patterns tends to make them close-up into a solid color, producing a “blobbing” effect when viewed from a distance. A-TACS addresses and improves these critical issues in three ways.
1. — Replace un-natural square pixels with organic pixels. Utilizing our patented process, we created a palette of natural colors digitally sampled from real-world elements in carefully controlled lighting. The pattern is then created using a mathematical algorithm that writes “organically-shaped” pixels using the specific color information given. The resulting pattern while still digital, is far more organic in appearance.
2. — Use small patterns to create larger more distinct shapes designed to work at a distance. Small shapes create larger shapes and larger shapes are organized into a distinct pattern with no horizontal or vertical orientation. This unique “pattern within a pattern” concept allows A-TACS® to effectively break the human outline at great distances thereby, minimizing the “blobbing” effect of other patterns when viewed from a distance.
3. — More effective use of color-range produces a better concealment system. A-TACS® is created using a far greater range of inter-mingled natural colors than was previously possible. The overall base color for the cast is a neutral tan which is designed for use in open, rocky or arid environments.
Furthermore, the abstract and intricate nature of this pattern gives it a unique “fingerprint”which is not only adaptable to various service branches, but also makes it difficult to copy.
I dunno, another desert/urban pattern? Aren’t we debating the flaws of the UCP because of the forested environments of Afghanistan? Doesn’t this one look as if it would stick out on a green background?
On the other hand, it’s interesting to see someone make a play against the ever-popular MultiCam and to tinker with the science of concealment. Let’s not forget, the Army is in the midst of a comprehensive look at its camouflage effectiveness and A-TACS is surely poised to play a role in pushing the argument and science.
– Christian
{ 71 comments… read them below or add one }
The people doing the afghanistan trials really should also take a look at Pencott camo, which works really REALLY well in green areas, but also has enough brown and tan in it to work in arid, deserty environments.
No matter how awesome your pattern is, if it doesnt at least have some green in it, people are still gonna stick out like a sore thumb as soon as they move through vegetation (where blending in is more important, because the engagement distances are much shorter than in open desert environments).
Another swing and a miss for the camo community?
The A-TACS looks really good but only for more arid & urban environments going by the publicity photos I've seen so far. It's far better than UCP but still doesn't look very multi-environment, I'd really like to see photos of it in somewhere greener to see if it's as universal as its creators make out to be.
Pencott all the way.
The Camo in the pic is really nice and after seeing it I want a pair of BDUs in that camo pattern.
also seems like it would be expensive and difficult to produce. Every piece of gear has what looks like a Monet impressionist painting on it.
What is the weapon in the picture? That doesn't appear to be an M4. It looks more like the SR-25 to me. Could someone help me out with this?
looks like a SCAR to me
Definatly not a SCAR its a S-System
I think it's actually an ACR. Remington is releasing products using this pattern.
I agree. It sure looks like an ACR.
it is the ACR
With everyone running around chasing their tails on camo, who's fighting the wars? lol
I agree. Camo doesn't make our troops invisible or more importantly bullet proof. I fought the VC and NVA in Vietnam and they had minimal if any camo and did rather well inflicted casualties on our troops. The current bad guys don't wear camo and also do reasonably well killing our people. I personally believe that camo is highly over rated. As a USN SEAL in RVN we wore pretty much what we wanted. I wore a Tiger stripe boonie hat, an ERDL camo shirt and Levi's 501 jeans. Other wore the jungle greens dyed black. Some wore the whole ERDL thing. I knew guys who wore 501's and a green or Blue and Gold (blue side out) t shirt. Head gear ranged from none to bandanas. boonie hats, and head bands. We didn't wear helmets or body armor in the field. We did pretty well too. I would say screw the camo and work on body armor.
Honestly that picture looks like it was photoshopped or whatever they call it. It's not real.
I remember my time in the Army, we wore BDU's in woodland pattern. It was OK, nothing special but it stuck out pretty much everywhere. Too much black and the colors were stark against each other until you washed it out and then it looked much better and worked better too.
Any earth tone will work. It only has to be one color or 2 colors. Olive green and khaki or olive drab. These cammo patterns are ridiculous. If you don't believe me go to a hobby store and buy some paint. Use some of those WWII colors and paint some wood panels. See for yourself, just a plain simple 2 tone will work fine. Cammo is much more dependent on breaking up your signature and outline than color.
We have wasted millions of dollars on what the Israelis already figured out, cammo doesn't work. But the military of so many nations has to have those really cool looking cammo patterns, it does look great but is totally useless.
I'm sure it doesn't work very well when you're moving; it seems logical that camouflage could work if the wearer is stationary.
Good Morning Folks,
Now this cammo pattern makes some sense. If it hasn’t been named yet, how about; “The Morning After Cammo Pattern”.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Do you think that it will be available for civilians?
I'm waiting until I see it in an environment that was selected by the manufacturer. Until then, we really won't know how well it works.
That should read: "wasn't selected by the manufacturer."
Like it better than the current but i think were still going to have to have.
Woodland
Winter
desert
If not they will stick out like a sore thumb.
I'd also like to point out, that soldier systems has been posting these for awhile. Every single one is in a dirt and urban setting. I'll hold my judgement to see how it well it works in places other than the manufacturer's photo ops.
The US Military should hold annual fashion shows.
The Army show at New York.
The Marines can hold theirs in conjunction with the Navy at Tokyo.
The Air Force can hold theirs In Las Vegas.
Can you just imagine it?
Soldiers strutting back and forth on the catwalk.
The highly informed camo fashion critics giving their studied insights and opinions.
There will also be many lines of suitable cosmetics, fragrances, and fashion accessories available at each style showing.
This will give every fashion conscious soldier the confidence to win.
It is a proven military fact, that the most stylishly attired soldiers are always superior to those dressed in cheep clothing.
I guess camouflaging exposed skin has gone out of fashion.
This one is the best by far. keep it, issue it and now be done with it.
Are they selling Cammo patterns or face creams ?
> Replace un-natural oils with organic ingredients. Utilizing our patented process, we created a palette of natural colors digitally sampled from real-world elements in carefully controlled lighting. The pattern is then created using a mathematical algorithm that mixes “organically-derived” ingredients using the specific color information given.
The most simple thing is have 2 basic issued uniforms. Green for jungle and woodland and light tan/sand for desert. Winter just put a white cover over the uniforms, it's cold anyway.
So simple, too simple. Either can work in built up areas because of the debris getting all over you, it makes your uniform already the colors of the area.
The U.S. Marine Corps already does this. They've got the woodland MARPAT and the desert MARPAT, along with the snowy overgarments also in a MARPAT like pattern.
Time to bring military clothing into the 21st century. I have an idea. Could you take overhead satallite pictures and then send the those to a computer that could read colors and patterns of those colors and then send that computer generated "local terrain pattern" to the factories to duplicate the exact terrain?
Expensive probably.
I'm disappointed. When are they going to make clothes out of wearable LCDs that change color in real time to match the environment? And jet packs that run on liquid schwartz?
The future sucks.
Just look at this " picture " for a moment.
The publick is supposed to see an alert soldier in the latest set of new camouflage clothes?
What a well trained combat soldier will immediately recognize , is that this dork is looking 180 degrees away from the muzzle of his weapon.
Real soldiers don't do that.
However, Dork meterosexual wannabe military fashion models do that.
Rule # 1 The muzzle of your weapon will always follow your eyes!
Rule# 2 There are no exceptions to rule # 1.
Simple, and easy to comprehend isn't it?
Perhaps this " soldier " should take off his " Cool Breeze " shades, and get a view of the way things work in the field.
Peace.
Easy Young Zandor, suppose this is just a photo op.. actually, it really really is.
Does that clear things up for you?
Easy Young Zandor, suppose this is just a photo op.. actually, it really really is.
The muzzle of your weapon always follow your eyes? what freaking army did you serve in? I guess when you sling your weapon on your back to maybe carry a wounded buddy out of danger, your eyes should be on the ground towards the back? You sir are an idiot. Of course when you're on very high alert, weapon at ready, yes you look where you point your weapon…but c'mon…
Zandor,
Ever heard of "keeping your head on a swivel"? Kinda tough when your cheek is stuck to your but stock. Every "well trained" soldier, marine and swat operator knows to keep scanning with your head and eyes not the gun. You get tunnel vision and you are slower to react to oblique threats, that is if you don't miss them completly.
You may have taken the advice of some guy you believed was an expert and you are probably preaching his method to everyone you know. Unfortunately he was wrong.
-mp / swat op
You seem to have a problem with pictures of soldiers..
Artistically a very "nice" picture to look at.
Just the following comments:
- No sense in wearing a $500 camo suite if your face shines like the tip of a cigarette in a dark night.
- The outline of your helmet is one of the most important silhouette that has to be broken. No helmet cover, no brush or burlapp to break the silhouette means your dead the second time you look around that corner or over that brim.
- last comment – after the fouth handwash, will the cammo pattern still be there or will you just have another khaki uniform after a year of wear?
Gus
SANDF
Zandor, you are an idiot. Your eyes follow the muzzle when at the ready. He is in a position where maybe just maybe, he is an area that is secure and is awaiting orders to move out. There are TONS of pictures of Marines, Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors that are on post, in the middle of Baghdad, which is always hostile, with their weapons pointed toward the deck. So please with your BS. Where the heck did you serve anyways numb-n-u-t-s?!?!?!?
As for the camouflage, the Army needs to take a look at feisty little brother USMC and just adapt MARPAT.
Zandor,
Ever heard of "keeping your head on a swivel"? Kinda tough when your cheek is stuck to your but stock. Every soldier, marine and swat operator knows to keep scanning with your head and eyes not the gun. You get stuck in tunnel vision and you are slower to react to oblique threats.
Boy, does time change things. In the Nam we wore OD green jungle fatiques and could of cared less WTF color the MF'S were as long as we got a change every so often. Seems we could fight in the OD fashion or the nude fashion equally.
I know, showing my age here. forgive me I am an old fashioned kind of veteran. LOL
Go easy on me now, I'm senile and have erectile dysfunction as well.
@ Ed!
It's the Remington/Bushmaster ACR, known before as the MagPul Masada.
This is a complete waste of money for the US Tax payer. Have everyone wear the Woodland Winter weight BDU uniform and stop with all the whining. The BDU uniform worked for many years and no one complained.
Dude, that's completely retarded. I know when you were a REMF your bdu's always were starched any your clorfram boots were shiny like the sun, but that's not even close to a practical uniform. It's heavy, uncomfortable, not very functional, etc. You want people in the desert wearing winter weight uniforms? That's sadistic, especially when there are around 10 million other options out there.
What the services need to man up and do is go with two uniforms. One light colored (summer) and one dark (winter) Then make the extreme cold weather stuff a snow camo pattern. Accessories could be a neutral color (foilage, coyote, etc). [And wear green air force boots, they blend in better] That approach makes perfect sense and is easy to understand, right? So why are we never going to hear anybody who makes these decisions tell us why this is a bad idea that won't work? Why?
If the Army spent half as much time/money perfecting tactics as they do on their uniforms, they would be safer and more effective. Trying to find the perfect pattern for every environment is a waste of time and $. I wish I had a fraction of all the toys and gear the soldiers get and then don't use or complain about.
I have a brilliant idea… how about a simple green pattern and a simple tan pattern. The Marine Corps has done so much with so little for so long, we can now do almost anything with nothing.
SF
It feels like the military is more deeply invested in uniforms than say, replacing the M16/M4.
We'd rather replace one year old uniforms than a fourty year old rifle, even if the uniform is also "perfectly functional".
Thats because, apparently, there is nothing wrong with the M16. It never jams, doesnt weight anything and fires bullets so lethal that even if you dont hit your target, the sheer terror he will feel from being shot at by a 47 year old rifle will cause him to have a heart attack and die.
Dear WarScientist;
Yet the US has military has plenty of respect for the AK 47, which is not as accurate as the M16, and makes the M16 look like a teenager.
Great numbers prefer the 45 ACP which is positively ancient.
There is also the 30 cal group of fans.
There a myriad of pros and cons in this debate.
I carried a Car 15, in the field for the greater part of 18 months in Viet Nam. It was not new when it was issued to me, and I fired at the absolute minimum 10,000 rds through it, and had not one jam. The rest of the time I carried a Chinese made RPD with cut off barrel. In the jungle it was far superior to the M 60.
The unit I was in carried Car 15 almost exclusively and I not once heard of any malfunctions.
It seems as though it is still popular to put down the M 16 system just as it was so many years ago.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE UNIFORMS EVERY TIME YOU ARE IN A OTHER THAN ROCKS ENVIORIMENT,, and what company is making all these different camos , is it some general's mother?? also when you move the pattern makes you more visible
All the camos tend to look alike when their wearers are posed in conditions deliberately designed to suit their patterns best.
Need a camo-thon or something.
The only way the US army can get away with buying this camo pattern and fielding it is if they kick off Gulf war 3.
Seriously tho, im really quite shocked that the army hasnt switched to MARPAT. It has two uniforms (for two very distinct environment) where you dont need to change your loadbearing gear or anything, whilst at the same time still satisfying the american fetish with digital camouflague. On top of that MARPAT is actually quite good both in arid environments and in woodlands. All you have to do is just switch uniforms depending on where you are going for a given mission.
Then again, that would be:
1) Too simple
2) Too cheap
3) It wouldnt be an army-exclusive "HEY, LOOK AT ME" uniform.
Personally i think the third hurdle will be the hardest to overcome.
The problem with that plan is the Marine Corps Globe and Anchor that is part of the exclusive and trade marked pattern. They did that so nobody else could use it.
LOL.
That's so retarded it's actually funny.
Other than buying the Pencott Camo licence or replacing everything with multiglam i really dont see any way that american infantry soldiers can avoid walking around in their " HEY LOOK AT ME IM OVER HERE TRYING TO HIDE BEHIND THIS BUSH" uniforms.
The worst thing about ACU is that it lights up like a friggin christmas tree at night-time, Its almost as if they never even tested it (or the natick guys had been drinking quite heavily during the tests)
camo really only works if you have a consistent smooth surface.
with all the bags, slings, and other junk we carry around these days you stand out no matter what camo you are wearing
It seems like a nice duplication of effort. Maybe the Obama adminstration owes a contributor?
I see a lot of pushing and shoving here. I think the most important thing to do is to kick ass and be around to do it again another day.
i would like to know whether thats an M-4 w/ supprssor, no optics, or a Remington ACR, i don't care wat he's wearing..we need better than the M-16/M-4..
Addressing a few of the general complaints in this thread:
1.) These camo patterns are not being paid for by the Army, they are private businesses attempting to woo the Army into a new uniform.
2.) The Army's ACU has been pretty terrible (in my own, and many other's opinions). The original idea behind pixilating the camo was to disrupt the ability of seeing the outline with night vision. Since the current enemy does not have any night vision, ACUs serve no purpose. The colors reflect too much light. Most special forces units will not use the current pattern because they operate at night. ACUs stand out like a sore thumb at night.
3.) The Army needs to give up on a "Universal" camo. The idea is just retarded. Since most environments are either brown/tan or green, just make two uniforms; like we used to have.
do you think is going to be available to general public any time soon?
http://www.red-dot-scopes.com/
At this rate the USA is going to be the best dressed losers in this floggin' war.
Quit fokin' around with the clothes and start fighting to win.
Dear galloglas;
There is no battlefield solution to this gang bang in Afghanistan. No matter how many troops, tanks, or planes are sent there.
The USA should declare victory and get the hell out. NOW!
When will the USA know exactly that it has won the war against terror?
Will the terrorists sign a document on board a battleship in Kabul Bay?
By the way, the folks that are shooting US soldiers are not terrorists, they are not insurgents, they are members of various Afghan Tribes that are trying to kick a bunch of foreign invaders out of their country.
The correct definition would be to call them patriots.
Why doesn't the USA declare a war against cheating, against dishonesty, against jealousy, against greed, against nationalism,and to wrap it all up, why doesn't the USA just declare war against everyone?
That would clear up all the confusion as to who the USA is fighting, and keep the USA busy and bleeding forever.
Zandor, their is a clear objective and thus a clear answer to your question.
Remember Iraq?
Who would you rather be in power in Afghanistan? Your so called patriots, or the real Afghan patriots?
Do you know what your "Patriots" do to Afgans and in some cases other Afgans (did yo catch that?) in their fight to "kick a bunch of foreign invaders out?" Last time I checked woman were getting shot for attending a school we built for them. etc.
Answer me this Zandor. Why did your "Patriots" run to Pakistan and commit terrorist attacks against the Pakistanis? Are they fighting for tribal pride or what?
Dear Mike;
What the Afghans do in their country should be up to the Afghans,
Period!
It is none of the USA's business as to what those people do or don't do.
Period!
Sincerely,
Zandor
Dear Mike;
Would you please enlighten me as to what the USA's " clear objectives " are?
I bet you can't.
Don't feel bad, neither can anyone else.
Sincerely,
Zandor
Ill do it for you:
Here are the 5 geopolitical objectives for the grand strategy of the United States of America:
1) The complete domination of north america by the united states army.
2) The elimination of any threat to the united states by any power in the western hemisphere.
3) Complete control of the maritime approaches to the united states by the navy to preclude any possibility of invasion.
4) Complete domination of the world's oceans to further secure U.S. physical safety and guarantee control over the international trading system.
5) The prevention of any other nation from challenging U.S. global naval power.
Might i add, this was written by a man much much smarter than you or i (George Friedman). You can choose to do with this information what you will. You can study it and learn something from it, or you can keep spamming the forums with your inane, usefull and wastefull posts.
Over & out.
Dear Alex;
The latest intel is that these new camos will be available in the metropolitan area Wall Marts no later than the 19th of Dec.
Just in time for Christmas.
That way, all the camo freak commandos can hide out in their Christmas trees and shoot Santa Claus in the ass when he comes down the chimney.
Ciao.
This pattern looks like it might be effective in semi-arid/urban areas, however it just does not look like the right pattern to replace UCP, I still believe fielding multicam would be the best choice for the Army, even though it would end up being more costly.
Not to be glib, but it looks like the Army has finally found Photoshops "water color" filter. One has to wonder how these systems are actually developed? That said it looks quite interesting.
I remember back in the 90's there was a pattern, the ASAT, that was very good, a leas for hunting, in the various environment of USA. What happened to that?
anyone know?
North Face Jacket
North Face
The North Face
Discount North Face
Cheap North Face Jacket
Cheap North Face
Discount North Face Jacket
where i said usefull in that last sentence, i actually meant ignorant, badly thought-out, annoying and any other negative word you can think of.
shut up zander… if you have a problem with America move to afghanistan and join them for man butt thursdays… i'm sure you'll fit in. Maybe instead of bitching you could join your country and actually contribute. For you to run your stupid mouth and say that the US is not taking care of terrorist then you should be smacked in your dumb mouth, because there are Americans over there who are losing their lifes keeping you iggnorant ass safe