Flecktarn

Flecktarn
Modern German Flecktarn introduced 1990
Type	Military camouflage
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1990–present
Used by	See below
Wars	Bosnian War (1992-1995) Afghanistan War (2001-present) Iraq War (2003-present)
Production history
Designed	1976
Variants	See below

Flecktarn (German pronunciation: [ˈflɛktaʁn]; "mottled camouflage"; also known as Flecktarnmuster or Fleckentarn) is a family of 3-, 4-, 5- or 6-color disruptive camouflage patterns, the most common being the five-color pattern, consisting of dark green, light green, black, red brown and green brown or tan depending on the manufacturer. The original German 5-color pattern was designed for use in European temperate woodland terrain. A 3-color variation called Wüstentarn is used for arid and desert conditions and has been used by the German Bundeswehr in Afghanistan.

The original German 5-color flecktarn has been adopted, copied and modified by many countries for their own camouflage patterns.

The German Army started experimenting with camouflage patterns before World War II, and some army units used Splittermuster ("splinter pattern") camouflage, first issued in 1931.Waffen-SS combat units used various patterns from 1935 onwards. Many SS camouflage patterns were designed by Prof. Johann Georg Otto Schick.

Platanenmuster pattern (summer side) in an early version from 1937

Platanenmuster pattern (autumn side) in an early version from 1937

Erbsenmuster pattern version from 1944

In 1976, the Bundeswehr in Germany developed a number of prototype camouflage patterns, to be trialled as replacements for the solid olive-grey "moleskin" combat uniform. At least four distinct camouflage patterns were tested during Bundeswehr Truppenversuch 76 ("Bundeswehr Troop Trial 76"). These were based on patterns in nature: one was called "Dots" or "Points"; another was called "Ragged Leaf" or "Saw Tooth Edge"; another was based on pine needles in winter.