Universal Camouflage Pattern

Universal Camouflage pattern
A sample of the UCP pattern
TypeMilitary camouflage pattern
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2005–2019 (U.S. Army)[a][b]
Used byState Defense Forces
See Users for non-US users
Wars(In U.S service):
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
(In Non-U.S service):
Mexican drug war
Insurgency in Northern Chad
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War
Syrian civil war
Yemeni civil war
Myanmar civil war[3]
Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
Designed2004
Produced2004–present
VariantsUniversal Camouflage Pattern Delta (UCP–D)[4]
UCFW trials Phase IV contenders in early 2004. To the right is Urban Track, predecessor of UCP
Two soldiers in 2005 wearing the Army Combat Uniform in the Universal Camouflage Pattern

The Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) is a digital military camouflage pattern formerly used by the United States Army in their Army Combat Uniform.[5][6] Technicians at Natick Soldier Systems Center attempted to devise a uniform pattern that would mask the wearer in all seasonal environments.[7] Laboratory and field tests from 2003 to 2004 showed a pattern named "All-Over-Brush" to provide the best concealment of the patterns tested.[7] All-Over-Brush was selected as the winner over ten other patterns.[8] The disadvantage of an all-in-one pattern is that it is a combination of what is effective in many different environments and is less effective in a particular environment when compared to a specialized coloration designed specifically for that environment.[7] The winning All-Over-Brush pattern was not used as the final UCP.[7] Instead, U.S. Army leadership utilized pixelated images taken from Canadian CADPAT and US Marine Corps MARPAT, then recolored them based on three universal colors developed in the Army's 2002 to 2004 tests, to be called the UCP.[7] While the pixelated pattern of the UCP is similar to the MARPAT and CADPAT camouflage patterns used by the United States Marine Corps and the Canadian Armed Forces, its coloration differs significantly.[9][10] The final UCP was then adopted without field testing against other patterns.[7]

Soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan questioned the UCP's effectiveness as a concealment method. Some felt that it was endangering their missions and their lives.[7] In response, the US Army conducted several studies to find a modification or replacement for the standard issue pattern.[11] In July 2014, the Army announced that Operational Camouflage Pattern would replace all UCP-patterned ACU uniforms by the end of September 2019.[12][13][14][15] However, UCP remains in service in limited capacities, such as on some cold weather overgear and older body armor.[1]


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  1. ^ a b "Say Goodbye to the Hated Army UCP Uniform". October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  2. ^ image.jpg (JPG). Archived from the original on 1 June 2020.
  3. ^ Myanmar: The Rebel Army. ARTE. April 18, 2024
  4. ^ "UCP-D:This Is What Happened The Last Time The US Army Created A Pixelated Camo Pattern - Soldier Systems Daily". 10 March 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  5. ^ "We should permanently post more U.S. troops abroad. For their own sake". Newsweek. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. ^ "ACU Presentation". ArmyStudyGuide.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Cramer, Guy, U.S. Army Camouflage Improvement Explained, retrieved 22 October 2022
  8. ^ Carroll, Ward (9 April 2007). "Defense Tech: Singing the ACU Blues". Defense Tech. Military Advantage, A Monster Company. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  9. ^ "Facts: Army Combat Uniform". U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Office of the Chief of Public affairs. U.S. Army. 14 June 2004. Archived from the original on 20 August 2012.
  10. ^ Cramer, Guy (2004). "Dual Texture - U.S. Army Digital Camouflage". United Dynamics Corp. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  11. ^ Engber, Daniel (6 July 2012). "Lost in the Wilderness, the Military's Misadventures in Pixelated Camouflage". State. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Army Combat Uniform Summary of Changes" (PDF). United States Army. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2016.
  13. ^ "New OCP Uniform Fielding Update". Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  14. ^ Gould, Joe (31 July 2014). "Army Announces Rollout Date for New Camo". Army Times. Gannett. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014.
  15. ^ "Army Selects New Camouflage Pattern". Military.com. 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.