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"Camouflage (from French word Camouflage) is the way to hide some items by painting the silhouette changing stripes and spots on them"
The definition from Ozhegov dictionary

The camouflaging uniform layer was first implemented during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Eventually camouflage developed from the basic way to become less visible on the battlefield to the art and advanced technology. The main goals of camouflage is blending with the background (landscape imitation) and obstructing the enemy to perceive a soldier as a human silhouette (blurring). The second goal is very important because it allows the user to operate with confidence and makes a camouflage multipurpose.

Camouflage is designed to hide the object from the human eye. In the peripheral areas of view the human eye perceives black and white colors the strongest. That is why camouflage patterns should not contain very dark and light colors. During the development of camouflage patterns it is also better to avoid bright color accents. But it is necessary to have in mind that a dull color scheme will also look artificial. Camouflage can imitate colors and shapes of the most common urban objects and natural landscapes. Brown color imitates previous year vegetation; reddish-grey matches soil and tree branches; the combination of yellow, orange and beige looks like the dry grass; light beige imitates sand and fallen leaves; greenish-grey colors match winter evergreen trees and tree trunks covered with moss and lichen.

Pattern (scheme) is a seamless repeating design for the clothes. During the camouflage development they are usually printed in a square shape with side size from 1 to 1.5 meters. That is defined by the technical peculiarities of military uniform manufacture (the pattern will not be repeated on one person, but the size is big enough to make the manufacture easy). Patterns should not be too dark because soldiers often have to operate in the open spaces. With the distance increase the camouflage spots are blending for the observers. This fact should be also considered during the color scheme design. Camouflage designs can be divided according to the pattern rules:

• single color (do not blur the object, have weak imitation properties but are efficient for camouflaging the moving objects);
• spots – are made of spots with defined edges (high blurring level, spots are extended horizontally to increase the camouflaging properties for moving objects);
• pixelated – are made from spots of different colors of specified shape and size that will be arranged on a pattern by computer (good imitation and camouflaging properties for moving objects);
• 3D – the pattern contains upper and lower layers. One is made of large spots with blurred edges, the other is made of smaller spots with defined edges (the most multifunctional, high level of all camouflaging properties. When observer looks at such pattern it creates an illusion that upper and lower layer spots are located on different distance);
• photo camouflage – contains from the drawn landscape elements (branches with leaves, vegetation stems etc.) on a pale background (the camouflaging properties depend on the matching to a specific conditions and landscape, not multifunctional).

Despite all the specific characteristics, craft details and difficult technologies of modern camouflage manufacture, some companies offer camouflage patterns of their own design that look like the ones designed by the leading international brands but don’t have the same efficiency.

"Practice is the criterion of truth"
Karl Marx

A-TACS® (Advanced Tactical Concealment System) is one of the most popular patterns nowadays. It was designed by Digital Concealment Systems (DCS) company in 2009 This camouflage was first introduced in AU (Arid Urban) color scheme for urban and arid terrain. This pattern attracted the attention of several special force departments. In 2011, due to the clients requests, the FG (Foliage Green) color scheme was developed for the terrains with lots of green vegetation. A little bit later, in 2013, the LE (Law Enforcement) pattern for urban landscapes was created. The most recent addition to the line was the IX (Intermediate Extreme) color scheme.

A-TACS® developers implemented an unusual approach to the camouflage design. The pattern consists of the plain light background and two color spots with defined edges. Due to the overlapping some spots are colored more intensely. When you look at the A-TACS® camouflage pattern, you don’t see any fragments that would catch your attention. Difficult patterns make the design more volumetric, because the spots are entering into each other. They also break the human silhouette. Despite the fact that nowadays A-TACS® camouflage is a commercial product, it is very popular amongst the military professionals. Some versions of A-TACS® camouflage are deployed by special forces and snipers of many countries along with the official camouflage patterns.

If you love the forest, it will help you

It is a known fact that forests can be found on all the continents of our planet except Antarctica. For example, the largest part of Russia is covered by taiga, the equatorial belt is covered with humid equatorial forests. There are lots of forests in subtropics as well. All in all forests cover more than 27% of land. 11% is covered by deserts, the same by mountains. If we don’t consider arctic deserts and other areas where you won’t usually go to perform combat missions, it becomes clear why basic camouflage mostly imitates forest terrains. Natural forest landscape is characterized by blurred lines and blending colors, that is why A-TACS® Foliage Green pattern perfectly imitates the combination of all the shades of green and brown colors.

According to the developer, the simplest solution during the creation of genuine A-TACS® camouflage for forest terrains would be to mechanically change the existing colors with shades of green. This approach would be simple and quick, but it would not be the right way to create an efficient pattern for moderate climate. The distinctive landscape colors and forest terrain shapes would not allow such camouflage to be effective. So the designers decided to create the new pattern from scratch: they used many shades of green selected directly in various forest and transition areas.

A-TACS® FG camouflage with various shades of green and brown was developed to be efficient in a wide range of climate conditions. Organic pixels in micro patterns are gathered in the bigger more defined macro shapes that create large patterns. Large organic shapes and strategically located shades in the macro pattern help to create a unique multidimensional effect innovative for tactical camouflaging systems. It is obvious that the A-TACS® Foliage Green pattern was designed considering the needs of special forces departments. It was created with the most advanced modern technologies. The best confirmation of the pattern efficiency is its use by the leading international uniform manufacturers as well as deployment by military forces of many countries. Nowadays we supply A- TACS® FG camouflage uniforms to Russian military units. Without a doubt, this camouflage pattern can be used not only by professionals, but also by people that choose active lifestyle (hunting, fishing, tactical and military games etc).