MARPAT
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MARPAT (short for MARine Disruptive PATtern) is a pixelated camouflage pattern in use by the United States Marine Corps. The pattern comprises a number of small pixels of color (rectangular pixels). In theory, it is a far more effective camouflage than standard uniform patterns due to the way it mimics the dappled textures and rough boundaries found in natural settings. This is caused by how the human eye interacts with pixelated images. MARPAT is a trademark of the United States Marine Corps. It is the new camouflage design now used by the Marine Corps. It is also known as the "Digital Pattern" or "digie cammies" (pronounced "dijie") because of its micropattern (pixels) rather than the old macropattern (big blobs). MARPAT was developed from Tigerstripe (not Vietnam issue) with the black and brown swapped. MARPAT has patterns produced by highly complex fractal equations due to a positive feedback. In addition to the Marines trademarking the name, they are also in the process of patenting the camouflage patterns.
The concept of using miniature swatches of color as opposed to large splotches is not a new concept; in World War II, German troops used various patterns similar to the current German Flecktarn, which involved similar small dabs of color on a uniform to provide camouflage. It is inspired by the Canadian Armed Forces CADPAT, also a digital camouflage pattern, though the original theory is attributed to Lieutenant Colonel Timothy R. O’Neill (U.S. Army, Retired).
There are three MARPAT patterns: Woodland, Desert, and Urban. As of 2004, the woodland and desert patterns are used by the Marine Corps, but the urban pattern was never approved. The uniform has met with some resistance initially among Marines, but has since been adopted as the standard-issue uniform for all USMC forces. The purpose of the digitized pattern is to match the visual texture of typical backgrounds. When compared to a white background the MARPAT does look surprising and would seem to catch attention, but when used in an operative environment, its textured appearance and lack of hard edges make it more effective than traditional patterns.
The uniform also was redesigned to be more combat effective. Most notable are the new pockets: The older BDUs had symmetrical breast pockets and waist pockets. The new MARPAT MCU has sleeve-pockets on the shoulders, so that a Marine can access the contents while wearing a flak vest or kevlar armor. The pockets on the breast have been slanted inward so that if anything is stored in them it can be accessed by the opposite hand while the vest is worn. Other improvements also include the addition of pouches to allow easier placement of knee and elbow pads and a better form of construction. Additionally the Marines now use flesh-out brown suede leather combat boots, as opposed to the "spit-shinable" black leather boots. They feature an embossed Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on the outer heel.
The U.S. Army has since developed a digital pattern BDU of their own, the Army Combat Uniform or ACU. The ACU differs most notably because its color scheme is used for virtually any environment and the lack of the color black, since it is rarely seen in nature, which is also why the military changed the chocolate-chip camouflage to the tri-color pattern. Similarly, the U.S. Air Force has since designed its own Airman Battle Uniform or ABU; using a digital tiger stripe pattern. The U.S. Navy recently announced approval for a digital "BDU-style" work uniform, effective late 2007/early 2008; However, the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) was chosen by surveyed sailors for consistency and longer life, rather than to disguise them at sea.
