CADPAT

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Digital Pattern developed by the Canadian Forces.

CAnadian Disruptive PATtern (CADPAT), is the digital camouflage pattern currently used by the Canadian Forces (CF). It has similarities to German Army Flecktarn that may have inspired the development of CADPAT. The patent for CADPAT lists US Army research [1] done by LTC Timothy R. O’Neill (U.S. Army, Retired) in the 1970s as an early inspiration for their digital pattern. CADPAT went considerably beyond this initial research. CADPAT is a computer generated pattern incorporating sophisticated Near Infrared protection designed to conceal soldiers from image intensification devices (night vision).

The basic uniform consists of a wide brim combat hat, helmet cover, shirt, jacket, fragmentation vest, and trousers.

Upon its introduction, the pattern was copyrighted.

In development for the better part of a decade, the pattern comes in three varieties: Temperate Woodland (TW), Arid Region (AR), and Winter/Arctic (WA). The temperate woodland pattern became the standard issue for the Army in 2002, with the Air Force following suit in 2004.

Uniforms and equipment in CADPAT material replaced the olive green material in use since the early 1960s.

Some civilian firms are licensed to sell clothing and accessories using CADPAT material (though not the same IR-defeating type used by the CF) as long as the patterns do not match official CF uniform and equipment patterns. These are commercially available from a wide variety of sources.

1 Temperate Woodland
2 Arid Regions
3 Arctic and Urban
4 Boots
5 Pictures
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Temperate Woodland

Soldiers of the 3rd Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry on exercise wearing CADPAT TW.

CADPAT TW is comprised of four specific colours of light green, dark green, brown and black and was first introduced in 1997/98 on the helmet cover for the new helmet then coming into service. At the same time, the pattern was also introduced on a new Soldier's Individual Camouflage Net.

The CADPAT TW uniform allows Canadian soldiers protection from observation by the naked eye and night vision devices.

[edit] Arid Regions

Canadian Forces soldiers wearing CADPAT AR in Afghanistan.

Concurrent with the trials of CADPAT TW, work was carried out to identify a uniform for operations in desert, near desert, and savannah environmental conditions. This three-colour pattern, known as CADPAT Arid Regions (AR), incorporates three different colours of brown. The CADPAT design for Arid Regions has been approved and the transfer of this digital technology is ongoing to the textiles industry.

In light of the deployment of the Immediate Reaction Force to Afghanistan, the CADPAT AR project was expedited with the intent that it would be issued to soldiers in summer 2002.

[edit] Arctic and Urban

The Canadian Forces are working on an Arctic as well as an Urban pattern.^[1]

[edit] Boots

The Canadian Forces are currently working on a new combat boot made with the CADPAT pattern; the boots are still in the testing phases. Though there has been some negative feedback from Canadian soldiers, the Canadian Forces hopes to have these boots as standard issue for troops by 2009.