The Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM) 80th Anniversary Parade on 21 September 2013 gave military buffs an opportunity to view and examine the new camouflage pattern at close range.
Selected Malaysian Army ground units donned the new digital pattern camouflage for the first time at the parade.
The digital pattern replaces the "Tiger stripe" camouflage pattern, known locally as the Baju Celoreng Harimau Belang, which has been the standard camouflage pattern since the 1990s. Please see above image for a comparison of the digital pattern uniform and the Harimau Belang pattern it is replacing.
Material
The ATM camouflage uniform has the same design as the current uniform, which is called the Nombor 5 by the Malaysian military. The fabric is understood to be made up of 65% ripstock cotton and 35% polyester.
Colour scheme
Senang Diri understands that detailed studies were conducted at a few locations, with different terrain, to define the geographical and operational requirements for the new camouflage pattern.
Following these field trials, the ATM identified the type and mix of colours for its new camouflage. These are:
Green (Hijau): 40%
Beige (Baige): 30%
Chocolate (Coklat): 25%
Dark Blue (Biru Gelap): 5%
Specifications
Four criteria are said to spell out specifications for the new No.5. These are as follows:
* The need for the uniform fabric to be durable (Tahan Lasak)
* Comfort for the wearer (Keselesaan Pemakaian)
* Relevance to the ATM's combat environment
* Maximum concealment (Penyamaran maksima)
It is understood that the pattern is made up of a combination of digital pixelated patterns 5mm by 3mm which are broken up at random and fused again using the four colours in the combinations mentioned above. This gives a "Fractal Solution" effect which provides the basis for a good camouflage pattern tailored for the ATM's specific operational environment.
The ATM is said to be planning to issue uniforms with digital pixelated patterns to the Royal Malaysian Navy and Royal Malaysian Air Force.