Editor’s Corner article

It’s summer, and apparently time to consider uniform changes, again.

The innovative Canadian Disruptive Pattern design, developed from computer algorithms based on imagery taken at engagement/detection ranges of 50-300 metres, was first worn in operations in Bosnia in 2001.

It was once rated “best tropical and temperate camouflage” by NATO soldiers, and the U.S. Marines considered adopting the copyrighted design for their own uniforms, but instead developed a very similar Universal Camouflage Pattern design they called MARPAT.

Subsequently, adapting the design to different environments was done in a cookie-cutter fashion and, over time, the U.S. concluded that UCP did not meet all operational concealment needs and has started switching over to the newer Operational Camouflage Pattern (known commercially as “multicam”), which will be fully in place by October 2019.

Maybe it is marginally better, but I’m told we have some $200 million worth of CADPAT uniforms in use, and another $200 million in stock waiting to be distributed.

There just may be more important uses for the funds it would take to re-kit the Canadian Armed Forces.