MultiCam

Army

On 19 November 2010, after trials by Australian special operations forces, the Australian Defence Force announced that Multicam will be standard for all regular Australian Army personnel in Afghanistan. Multicam, it is said, provided "... troops with greater levels of concealment across the range of terrains in Afghanistan – urban, desert and green." Previously, depending upon the terrain, Australian troops had to transition between green and desert colored Australian Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniforms (DPCU or AUSCAM).[16][17] On 30 May 2011 the Defence Material Organisation announced that they had obtained licence to produce Multicam in Australia for US$4.7 million and Crye would also design a new uniquely Australian pattern for another US$3.1 million.[18]

The Australian Army decided to standardize MultiCam-patterned uniforms starting in October 2014 called the Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform (AMCU). The Australian derivative retains colour and pattern elements of the previous DPCU pattern. The AMCU is manufactured domestically by Australian Defence Apparel and Pacific Brands Workwear Group and comes in two variations, field and combat, using a tested Australian Multi-Camouflage Pattern that can operate in bush, desert, and jungle conditions. Previous DPCU Uniforms and Australian MultiCam Pattern Operational Combat Uniforms will be worn until all Army personnel have been issued with the AMCU.[19]

Air Force

In 2014 the Royal Australian Air Force began fielding a new Multicam-based uniform to replace the DPCU, called the General Purpose Uniform (GPU), using the blue-and-grey colours of the RAAF.[20] The uniform is not intended to be used as camouflage in warlike operations or environments.[21][22]

Navy

In 2015, the Royal Australian Navy began their own testing of a new Multicam uniform with a blue colourway, calling it the Maritime Multicam Camouflage Uniform (MMCU.)[23] The new uniform and pattern was intended to replace the Navy's grey-and-green Disruptive Pattern Navy Uniform (DPNU) by 2017.[24] In 2019 The Australian Navy announced that it was fielding a variant of the new AMCU including the cut and design of the uniform itself, and reverting to the grey-and-green colours of the DPNU.[25]

The fabric for the AMCU, MMCU, and GPU are produced in Australia by Bruck Textiles Pty Ltd.[26]

• 
  Australian special forces in Multicam, June 2010
• 
  AMCU combat uniform and kit in Iraq, 2016

A domestic variant of MultiCam is in use with the Georgian Armed Forces as standard issue for all military branches as well as special units of the MIA and State Security. The pattern got adopted somewhere in 2010 replacing the DWC and MARPAT and since has been produced in a slightly altered version that fits better to the local environment.

• 
  Infantrymen of the Georgian 33rd LIB during a mission readiness exercise
• 
  A Georgian ranger during mission rehearsal for Afghanistan deployment
• 
  Georgian troops wearing a mix of MultiCam and MARPAT
• 
  A Georgian officer of the Batumi Separate Light Infantry Battalion in Afghanistan

The New Zealand Defence Force announced in late 2019 that it would be replacing its local Multi Terrain Pattern camouflage pattern (NZMTP), in use since 2014, with a variant of British Multi-Terrain Pattern. The rollout began in 2020.[27] Prior to this New Zealand Special Forces in Afghanistan wore uniforms in Crye Precision Multicam.

A modified version of MultiCam has been adopted by the some of Polish Special Forces. It is named Suez.[28]

• 
  From left: Suez, MultiCam,

As part of the Sistemas de Combate do Soldado (Soldiers Combat Systems) project, in 2018, the Portuguese Army started to experiment a new individual equipment system for the dismounted soldiers, which includes a new camouflaged Multicam-style uniform. This new uniform was tested in the field by units deployed to the Central African Republic, Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2019, the Multicam-style camouflaged was officially adopted as the Multiterreno (Multi-terrain), becoming the standard field uniform camouflage of the Portuguese Army, gradually replacing the Disruptive Pattern Material pattern.[29] It was developed in cooperation with the Centro De Investigação Desenvolvimento e Inovação da Academia Militar or Investigation Center for Development and Innovation of the Military Academy.[29]

• 
  Portuguese Paratroopers on board of an aircraft
• 
  A landed Portuguese Paratrooper

Russian FSB officers in December 2010, during an operation in Makhachkala

Multicam has also been adopted by some Russian Spetsnaz units, including FSB Alpha, the SSO, and by the Internal Troops of the MVD. It's reported that Russia makes their own MultiCam camos.[30]

British Army paratroopers training with Ukrainian weapons, 2011

British Army soldier in Afghanistan, 2011

The colors of the Multicam pattern were also used in the development of the British armed forces Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP). British forces deployed in Afghanistan used the Multi-Terrain Pattern from March 2010 onwards. The colors used in Crye's MultiCam technology were determined to be the best performing, across the widest range of environments (by a significant margin) when compared with the two existing Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) designs in use at the time and was subsequently selected as the basis for the new MTP camouflage, combined with the existing DPM base pattern.[31][32] On 27 June 2020, the Royal Marines announced they will adopt a new uniform made by Crye which uses the original MultiCam pattern instead of MTP.[33][34]

MultiCam is currently in use by the U.S. Special Operations Command,[35] and some private military contractors.[36] Several members of the U.S. Army's Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment were also seen wearing MultiCam when followed by ABC News.[37] In 2010, U.S. soldiers deployed to Afghanistan were issued MultiCam versions of the Army Combat Uniform, as the existing Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) was found to be inadequate for the terrain.

In May 2014, the Army selected a pattern similar to MultiCam called Scorpion W2 to replace UCP, naming it the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). The original Scorpion pattern was jointly developed by Crye Precision and the Army for the Objective Force Warrior program in 2002, and Crye made small adjustments for trademark purposes to create MultiCam. Because Scorpion is similar to MultiCam, the same color Velcro, buttons, and zippers can be reused.[38][39] OCP resembles MultiCam with muted greens, light beige, and dark brown colors, but uses fewer beige and brown patches and no vertical twig and branch elements.[40] On 31 July 2014, the Army formally announced that OCP would begin being issued in uniforms in summer 2015.[41] Soldiers are allowed to wear uniforms and field equipment patterned in MultiCam until they can acquire OCP, which is allowed until MultiCam uniforms' wear-out date projected on 1 October 2018.[42] Beginning October 1, 2018, USAF personnel will begin transition from ABU's to OCP until 2021.

Some local, state and federal law enforcement agencies also make use of the pattern, including the Drug Enforcement Administration's Foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Teams (FAST) teams operating in Afghanistan as well as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Special Reaction Team, the Spokane, Washington Police Department, and the Oregon State Police SWAT team.

• 
  An early prototype Scorpion pattern uniform on display at the Pentagon in May 2002
• 
  DEA FAST agents armed with M4A1 Carbines in Afghanistan, June 2008
• 
  U.S. Army Special Forces' 3rd Special Forces Group (United States) in the Farah Province of Afghanistan, April 2009
• 
  U.S. Army soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division in Logar Province, January 2011
• 
  U.S. Army soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, March 2011
• 
  A U.S. Air Force Combat Controller operating in Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response, January 2010

•  Angola: Used by parachute units of Special Operation Brigade of the Angolan Army.[43]
•  Argentina: adopted a variation used by armed forces (Argentine Army., Argentine Air Force, Argentina Marines.) and security forces.
•  Australia:
  • MultiCam: Currently used by Special Operations Command[16][17] and Police Tactical Groups.[44]
  • Australian Multicam Camouflage Uniform (derived from MultiCam): Adopted by the Australian Defence Force for general issue from 2014 onwards, replacing the Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform and the Australian MultiCam Pattern Operational Combat Uniform patterns.[19]
•  Austria: Austrian Special Forces (Jagdkommando)[45] and troops deployed to Afghanistan[46] of the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer).
•  Brazil: Used by the Comando de Operações Táticas.[47]
•  Canada: Seen in use by Canadian Special Operations Forces Command[48]
•  Chile: MultiCam is the standard issue uniform of the Marine Corps and the Navy Special Warfare Division. Also used by the Chilean Air Force Commandos[49]
•  Cyprus: Main combat uniform of the Cypriot National Guard army brunch.
•  Egypt: In use by Egyptian Navy Special Forces.
•  Denmark: Deployment uniform of the Danish military, in the process of replacing the M/84 as the standard uniform.[50]
•  France: Seen in use with some members of the Commandement des Opérations Spéciales when deployed in the Middle East and Africa.[51] A new camo will be scheduled to complement it in the COS.[51]
•  Finland Seen in use with some members of the Coastal Jaeger Battalion and the Special Jaeger Battalion.[52]
•  Georgia: Standard uniform of the Defense Forces, modified variant produced locally. Issued also to law enforcement and security agencies.[53]
•  Haiti: Used by certain units of the Haitian National Police.[54]
•  India: Used by MARCOS commandos, Garud Commando Force and Paras in jungle operations.[55]
•  Lebanon: Operational Camouflage Pattern (based on MultiCam predecessor), Standard issued uniform for all branches replaced U.S. Woodland on 21 November 2017.
•  Malta: Replacing the woodland pattern with Mutlticam uniforms from Crye for the Maltese military.[56]
•  Montenegro: Standard uniform of the Montenegro military.[57] Made by YDS Textiles with a Montenegrin motif in the camo print.[58]
•  Netherlands: Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) and the Netherlands Marine Corps used it on tour in Afghanistan. The Dutch-made Multicam camo is made by NFM Group.[59]
•  New Zealand: New Zealand Special Air Service[60] For use by the Special Operations Forces (NZSOF) in Afghanistan and Iraq.
•  North Korea: First seen during a parade in October 2020, used by select units.[61]
•  Poland: Polish Jednostka Wojskowa GROM, Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, Biuro Ochrony Rządu and Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów units uses "Suez", a slightly modified MultiCam pattern.
•  Portugal: Used by Portuguese Armed Forces (Portuguese Paratroopers, Commandos, Special Operations Troops Centre, NOTP and Special Actions Detachment).[62][63]
•  Russia: Russia's FSB Alpha Group and Vympel and the MVD's SOBR Group. Russian Special Forces in Syria were also seen using Multicams.[64]
•  Republika Srpska: Used by the RS' Special Anti-Terrorist Unit.[65]
•  Singapore: Used by Special Operations Force and Naval Diving Unit of the Singapore Armed Forces and also by the STAR unit and Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force.
•  South Korea: South Korean UDT/SEAL operators.[66]
•  Spain: Spanish Army´s Special Operations Group[67] and Special Naval Warfare Force personnel.
•  Sweden: Used by the SOG and special forces support units[68] as well as UH-60M crew members.
•  Thailand: Combat Control Team Special Operation Regiment Royal Thai Air Force, Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters's Counter Terorist Operations Center.[69]
•  Tunisia:Seen used by USGN in Raoued operation.[70]
•  Turkey: Used by some units within the Turkish Special Forces. [71]
•  Ukraine: Used by various Ukrainian special forces units.[72]
•  United Kingdom:
  • MultiCam: Seen in use by United Kingdom Special Forces personnel.
    • Used by Royal Marines to replace MTP.[73]
  • Multi-Terrain Pattern (MultiCam coloration but not pattern):British Army and Royal Air Force from 2011 onwards.[74]
•  United States:
  • MultiCam: U.S. Army, U.S. Navy EOD, United States Special Operations Command, and U.S. Air Force.[75]
    • Hostage Rescue Team[76]
  • Operational Camouflage Pattern (based on MultiCam predecessor): Adopted by the US Army and US Air Force for general issue.[77]

•  China: An unlicensed variant known as 93阅兵新式迷彩 was shown only in the 2015 Victory Day Parade.[78]

Known to be used by anti-government forces in Syria,[79] including:

• Islamic State of Iraq and Syria[80]
• Al-Nusra Front[81]
• Islamic Front[82]
• Sham Legion[83]
• Turkistan Islamic Party[84]
• Ajnad al-Kavkaz[85][86]