Military cloths camouflage is the use of
camouflage by
a military force to protect personnel and
equipment from observation by enemy forces. In
practice, this means applying colour and
materials to military equipment of all kinds,
including vehicles, ships, aircraft, gun positions
and battledress , either to conceal it from
observation (crypsis ), or to make it appear as
something else ( mimicry). The French slang
word camouflage came into common English
usage during World War I when the concept of
visual deception developed into an essential part
of modern military tactics . In that war, long-
range artillery and observation from the air
combined to expand the field of fire, and
camouflage was widely used to decrease the
danger of being targeted or to enable surprise.
As such, military camouflage is a form of
military deception .
Camouflage was first practised in simple form in
the mid 18th century by jäger- or rifle units.
Their tasks required them to be inconspicuous,
and they were issued green and later other drab
colour uniforms. With the advent of longer range
and more accurate weapons, especially the
repeating rifle, camouflage was adopted for the
uniforms of all armies, spreading to most forms
of military equipment including ships and
aircraft. Many modern camouflage textiles
address visibility not only to visible light but also
near infrared, for concealment from night vision
devices. Camouflage is not only visual; heat,
sound, magnetism and even smell can be used
to target weapons, and may be intentionally
concealed. Digital camouflage applies patterns
made of pixels, often designed to disrupt outlines
at different distances, providing a degree of
scale invariance .
Camouflage for equipment and positions was
extensively developed for military use by the
French in 1915, soon followed by other World
War I armies. In both world wars, artists were
recruited as camouflage officers. Ship
camouflage developed via conspicuous dazzle
camouflage schemes during WWI, but since the
development of radar, ship camouflage has
received less attention. Aircraft, especially in
World War II, were often painted with different
schemes above and below, to camouflage them
against the ground and sky respectively.
Military camouflage patterns have been popular
in fashion and art from as early as 1919.
Camouflage patterns have appeared in the work
of artists such as Andy Warhol and Ian Hamilton
Finlay, sometimes with an anti-war message. In
fashion, many major designers have exploited
camouflage's style and symbolism, and military
clothing or imitations of it have been used both
as street wear and as a symbol of political
protest.
