NATO tests urban desert camouflage gear in Arizona

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SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. -- Recent tests conducted at the Fort Huachuca in Arizona could affect how soldiers across the world suit up for future wars.A team of NATO scientists tested 11 types of camouflage at the post to determine what patterns work best in an urban desert environment, similar to what soldiers deal with in Baghdad now.The goal is to develop a plan that would allow military leaders to one day tailor camouflage to particular battlefields.Fort Huachuca, a U.S. Army installation about 75 miles southeast of Tucson, was selected by the scientists, who are part of NATO's international research and technology group, because the area closely resembles the arid environments of the Middle East.Taking photographs and light readings and conducting other tests, the scientists tried to determine how the camouflage designs - which varied from mottled grays and tans to the current greenish hues - helped soldiers blend in with their surroundings.The tests aren't likely to produce a uniform that will one day be worn in battle, though that is possible, said Bob Balma, manager of the testing group.Instead, the scientists - from nine countries, including Estonia and the Czech Republic - were trying to develop a process by which camouflage can be designed to fit a particular battlefield.The testing and analysis conducted in the next year could help future battlefield commanders quickly develop new camouflage designs that fit the unique circumstances presented by a location, from an urban desert to an alpine forest."We want to develop a set of guidelines that people can use and hopefully speed up the process" of developing camouflage, he said.The team came up with the designs for the prototypes after visiting Fort Huachuca earlier this year. Members took color samples and tried to match patterns found on buildings and in nearby brush with the prototypes they designed.Recent testing included one member of the research team taking panoramic shots of a prototype in front of a stone-and-mortar building while another tried to measure how much light reflected off the uniform.While that was occurring, scientists slowly scanned the area where the prototype was. They focused on nearby objects such as transformers and light poles, trying to determine when they saw the camouflaged figure out of the corner of their eyes.The test tried to simulate how enemy soldiers might scan an area, picking out foreign objects on the edge of their fields of vision, said Peter Jacobs, one of the scientists.The longer it took to first see the camouflage, the better the prototype, he said. "The less you could see out of the corner of your eye and the closer you got, the better," he said.The science of camouflage, while often not discussed, helps give soldiers a momentary advantage against their enemies, said Canadian Forces Maj. Doug Bugeaud, who helped coordinate the testing."By fooling the eye for a few seconds, it gives you the opportunity to shoot first instead of being shot at first," he said.E-mail Aaron Mackey at amackey(at)azstarnet.com.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)