Camouflage uniforms are linked to combat effectiveness—revealing the secret of 21 camouflage training uniforms
At present, 21 camouflage combat training uniforms are being distributed to the entire army and armed police forces. The new generation of camouflage training uniforms is affectionately called “starry sky camouflage” by netizens because the camouflage patterns are smaller and more complex and resemble the starry sky. According to the classification of camouflage colors, this combat training uniform can be divided into five types: “jungle, desert, woodland, desert, and city”. Among them, jungle and desert patterns are distributed by the entire army because they can meet most regional environments across the country. The Armed Police Force also followed the same pattern with patch camouflage and issued Armed Police 21 camouflage training uniforms.
As one of the participants in the research and development of this new set of clothing, with the strong support and help and guidance of the relevant business departments of the Logistics Support Department of the Military Commission, we submitted a style design plan for the new clothing. Subsequently, the design was finalized based on repeated revisions by the agency organization and guidance design team and small-scale trials by the troops, and was finally presented to the comrades.
一
I received the task of redesigning the camouflage uniforms from my superiors in May 2020. At that time, the 07 camouflage combat training uniforms in active service in our army had been installed in the entire army and armed police forces for 13 years. At the military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a new combat training uniform with a starry sky camouflage pattern was unveiled. However, this experimental uniform was not distributed to the entire army, and only the “starry sky camouflage” pattern was retained.
Before participating in this task, I had been engaged in research on quilt clothing for many years. I also collected and compiled a large number of foreign military clothing in active service based on my own research topics, and wrote and published relevant papers. But what really made me feel deeply about camouflage combat training uniforms was my personal experience while working at the United Nations.
From 2017 to 2018, I was sent to the United Nations South Sudan mission area to participate in peacekeeping operations. I served as the deputy director of the Logistics Division of the Northern Theater (Bentiu), responsible for a total of 5 infantry units from the United Kingdom, Mongolia, India, Ghana and Cambodia. and the logistics work of more than 2,000 people in the engineer battalion. At that time, I was the only Chinese soldier in the entire camp. Due to the requirements of my duties, I have to drive in and out of military camps of various countries for inspections every day, and our camouflage uniforms with the United Nations logo often become the “starting point” for communication with each other.
During the exchange, I gradually discovered that although the 07 jungle camouflage combat training uniform I wore was well made and the style was quite satisfactory, in terms of combat functions, especially battlefield practicality, it was different from those around me who had just come off the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Compared with the camouflage uniforms worn by officers and soldiers, there is still a certain gap. A near-death experience during peacekeeping gave me a deeper understanding of the importance of structural design of camouflage uniforms.
Once, I was ordered to drive alone to the airport 5 kilometers outside the camp to check supplies. While passing the ceasefire line, the vehicle I was driving was suddenly shot at, slid into a roadside minefield, and rolled over. At that time, I wanted to use the folding knife I carried with me to cut off the seat belt and crawl out, but I was curled up in the overturned car and couldn’t move, and I couldn’t reach into my pocket because of the angle. Fortunately, I saved the day, otherwise these few seconds would have been enough to kill me. Killed a person’s life.
Since then, I have paid more attention to the relationship between clothing structure and practicality. Therefore, when designing the style of 21 camouflage combat training uniforms, our main idea was to address the structural design problems of the 07 camouflage combat training uniforms and re-plan around the current battlefield demand for camouflage combat uniforms, focusing on the actual combat performance of the clothing. aspect, and the focus is on the functional division and design of pockets.
二
When wearing bulletproof clothing and combat carrying equipment, the front part of the individual soldier’s jacket will be covered. Therefore, when designing new clothing, we modularize and divide the clothing into regions. The front of the jacket is defined as the “living area” used to meet daily work and life, while the arm bags, leg bags, leg pockets and other parts on both sides are defined as the “combat area” used for combat.
In terms of the design of the front chest pocket, combined with the current service needs of our army and the actual situation on the battlefield, we submitted two structural design plans: the first plan is to increase the pocket design and make use of ergonomic principles. Adjust the angle to facilitate taking out items; the second plan is more bold, mainly drawing on the design concept of bomber jackets and the ancient Chinese “taking things from the arms”, designing two vertical pockets on the left and right sides, which not only maximizes the Increase the capacity of the pockets and make it easy to cross-take items.
In addition, in order to make it easier for everyone to place military ID cards, access cards, etc., we also added two small pockets inside the pocket. After the two structural plans were submitted, responses were quickly received. After comparison, the superior agency finally determined the design idea of ”taking things from the arms”, and during the subsequent modification process, the lower edge was raised by nearly 2 centimeters to avoid The items in the pockets slipped directly from the inside. This is the final style of the 21 camouflage training uniform that everyone sees now.
At present, many foreign armies have canceled the large pockets at the hem of combat uniforms. They believe that they can wear backpacks during normal times. Once they wear bulletproof clothing during war, the hem pockets and top pockets will lose their functions. However, combined with the current actual situation of our army,� has been retained, which not only avoids the problem that old armbands are easily scratched, but also retains the function of continuing to wear hanging armbands during joint military exercises and other operations.
Six
After the sample of this camouflage combat training uniform based on actual combat was submitted, the agency organized and guided the design team to optimize the version so that it could be better integrated with various types of equipment. At present, the 21 camouflage combat training uniforms have been finalized and are being gradually equipped to the entire army and armed police forces, and have received very positive feedback.
After the 21st camouflage training uniforms were put into use, some comrades around me reported that the clothes were “both familiar and unfamiliar” and felt that they had the style of foreign military and the “flavor” of our army’s previous camouflage uniforms. The reason why this suit looks like a foreign army, I think, is more because the starting point for the development of this suit is completely based on the actual requirements of modern warfare for combat clothing, and is aimed at the forefront of contemporary warfare. Therefore, objectively speaking, it is not that our clothing resembles that of foreign armies, but that both we and foreign armies are “aiming” at wars of the same era and under the same battlefield conditions.
In addition, when designing this set of clothing, we also fully took into account the wearing “habits” developed by our military officers and soldiers all year round, retaining the design advantages of our army’s previous camouflage training uniforms, and is the best camouflage uniform in the past. Summary and inheritance. For example, the collar and cuff design, mid-waist drawstring, military rank style, etc. are all revised or fine-tuned with reference to the relevant parts of the 07 and 03 camouflage training uniforms. The accordion pleats on both sides of the new combat training uniform are also iteratively updated based on the design concept of the Armed Police 07 camouflage uniform and special combat uniform. The starting point of the design is not to “change” for the sake of “change”, nor is it deliberately done under the banner of “integration with international standards” to reflect the so-called “coolness”, but everything is centered around actual combat, and everything is researched and developed around the battlefield. .
Compared with the 07 camouflage combat training uniforms, the 21 camouflage combat training uniforms break the original concept of “service camouflage” and truly equip the camouflage combat uniforms according to the characteristics of the combat regional environment. “The whole army is consistent and the clothes are made according to the local environment.” . It should be said that this is truly aimed at the actual situation on the battlefield and reflects the guiding ideology of our military’s clothing research and development following the principle of seeking truth from facts. At present, even the US military itself, which has waged wars all year round, regards military uniforms as the “private territory” of each service due to factors such as history, services, and interests. On issues such as changing military uniforms, each service operates independently, and has suffered losses many times because the camouflage uniforms are “incompatible” with the combat areas. The main reason is this problem.
After the submission of the new camouflage training uniform sample, we were worried that the higher authorities might not be able to accept bold design proposals such as arm pockets, side pockets and slanted logo clothing. However, after the final version was finalized, we were pleasantly surprised to find that not only was the pocket plan approved by the Central Military Commission and leaders, but also the armbands that had been deliberately “right” when we submitted the alternative plan were “crooked” again. This seemingly casual detail allows us to truly feel the determination of the higher authorities to be practical and the rigorous and pragmatic work style. (Author’s unit: Joint Service College, National Defense University)
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