Hidden in plain sight: The fascinating history of military camouflage

Nature long ago learned that blending into your environment is a great way to increase a creature’s chances of survival. With the advent of warfare, our species also cottoned onto the idea quickly.

Called camouflage, using colors, patterns, or pieces of local plants or bits of the environment to “hide in plain sight” is as old as time. We can’t be sure when the first humans came up with the idea, but its principles still apply very much in today’s highly technological world.

But where did it all begin, and how has it changed over time? Let’s take a look.

Camouflage: From hunting to war

While debated, humans’ first use of camouflage was likely for hunting. Much like ghillie suits today, ancient hunters likely coated their exposed skin with local materials or used vegetation or animal hides to confuse their prey and ambush them.

This practice is still widely seen today in many remote tribes worldwide and has likely not changed in millennia. However, the first dedicated use of camouflage in war is much harder to nail down.

One of the earliest documented examples (albeit disputed by historians) comes from the 4th century. Vegetius (a late Roman general) wrote an account about “ Venetian Blue ,” a bluish-green pigment used to disguise Roman warships.

As he explained, Roman scout ships’ sails and rigging would often be dyed with this bluish-green pigment to help hide the ship at sea. In the interim period between ancient and modern times, various armies would likely have employed some form of hunter-gatherer-type camouflage tactics for their scouts throughout history. However, there needs to be more documented evidence of this.

Whatever the case, the nature of battles pre-gunpowder with formations of troops clashing for dominance rendered the need for unit recognition (i.e., determining friend from foe) more important than hiding from the enemy.

War: The mother of all invention

As we understand it today, the first official use of bona fide camouflage came about in the 19th century. The development of rifled weapons and long-range artillery made concealment increasingly crucial on the battlefield.

Prime examples from the time include British rifle regiments of the Napoleonic period, who adopted their famous green uniforms. Portuguese light infantry of the period, called Cacadores , also famously adopted brown jackets to help conceal them during the Peninsula War.

By the mid-19th century, British infantry also began to drop their famed red coats for more drab colors, especially in places like India and, famously, during the Boer Wars of the late 19th century. This would eventually lead to the development of the first Khaki uniforms. Incidentally, the word “ Khaki ” is Urdu for “dusty” or “soil colored.”

Also around this time, Scottish gamekeepers developed what would come to be known as “gillie” suits as we know them today. Derived from the garlic “gille” (meaning servant or lad), the concept would be adapted by British snipers during the First World War. This technique remains crucial to many modern sniper and special operations teams.

But things kicked up a gear during the two major world wars of the 20th century. The French during the First World War gave us the term. The French Army was among the first to recognize the importance of camouflage.

1915, they established the world’s first dedicated camouflage unit, the “ Camoufleurs .” Incidentally, this is where we get the term. This unit consisted of artists, sculptors, and painters who created patterns and techniques to help soldiers, equipment, and vehicles blend into their surroundings.

Modern problems need modern solutions

Other major powers soon adopted the same principle, with the most striking example probably being the famed “ dazzle ” camouflage used on warships of the period. Variations on the theme became commonplace after that, culminating in the many patterns of camouflage being used on war machines of the Second World War.

After World War II, the art of camouflage continued to advance significantly, especially during the Cold War. The development of infrared (IR) and radar technologies required camouflage to adjust to new detection methods.

The Soviet Union and the United States made substantial investments in research to create materials and patterns that could minimize the visibility of these new sensors. For example, the US Army introduced the M81 “woodland” camouflage pattern during the 1970s.

This iconic pattern was widely used during the Vietnam War and beyond. It was designed to be effective in various environments, from European forests to the jungles of Southeast Asia, and remained the standard issue for U.S. forces until the late 2000s.

During the Cold War, militaries developed “urban camouflage” to prepare for potential city warfare—this type of camouflage utilized grays and blues to blend into urban environments. However, as warfare expanded into various terrains, there was a need for more adaptable and versatile camouflage patterns.

At the turn of the 21st century, digital camouflage patterns were introduced, significantly advancing camouflage technology. The Canadian military was one of the earliest adopters of digital patterns, introducing CADPAT (Canadian Disruptive Pattern) in the late 1990s.

These patterns utilized pixelated designs to create more effective camouflage by mimicking the natural “noise” in different environments. The US Army adopted the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) in 2004, aiming for it to be suitable across various terrains.

The future of camouflage

However, the UCP was criticized for being ineffective in certain environments. This led to the creation of more specialized patterns, such as MultiCam , which offered improved concealment in different terrains.

Today, the science of camouflage is entering a new era driven by advances in materials science and artificial intelligence. Researchers are developing “ adaptive ” camouflage materials that mimic the surrounding environment and can change color and pattern in real-time.

These materials, often inspired by the skin of animals like octopuses and chameleons, use electrochromic or thermochromic technologies to achieve this effect.

AI is becoming more critical in developing camouflage. Machine learning algorithms can analyze environmental data to design optimized camouflage patterns for specific terrains and conditions. AI also creates “smart” camouflage systems that can react to environmental changes, such as lighting conditions or movement, providing soldiers with dynamic concealment.

Another promising area is the field of “ metamaterials ,” which are engineered materials capable of bending light and other electromagnetic waves. These materials can potentially be utilized in creating “ invisibility cloaks ,” allowing objects to be effectively hidden from human eyes and sensors.

And that’s your lot for today.

The history of military camouflage is a tale of continual innovation, compelled by the necessity to adjust to constantly evolving threats and technologies. But as materials science and AI continue to progress, the future of camouflage promises even greater levels of concealment and deception.

This will ensure that both man and machine can hide in plain sight, which remains a crucial aspect of military strategy.