memphiz
07-26-2004, 01:47 AM
OTTAWA -- The Canadian military has joined forces with five NATO allies to develop camouflage gear that better protects soldiers fighting in urban areas. Canadian military officials will attend a first formal meeting with NATO partners in January to lay out the creation of new high-tech uniforms.
"They've had a number of preliminary meetings and are sharing information already," said Defence Department spokesman Jeremy Sales.
"All of the six allies that are involved in this are really trying to proceed down this road."
Sales said the Canadian Forces got the go-ahead to design a pattern this spring.
The decision was based on a Canadian- commissioned report that found it was possible to create a colour scheme that could fool infrared technology and better protect soldiers working in cities.
The big hurdle for the military is figuring out a pattern that protects troops as effectively in Ottawa as it would in Kabul.
The move to develop the new gear comes as Canada increasingly deploys its soldiers to missions in urban centres, rather than in forested environments where the relish camouflage is best.
"It's going to take a while because it really is a very complex issue," Sales said.
It took the Canadian Forces a decade to develop the temperate woodland pattern and successfully print it on a uniform.
The project, from designing the pattern to distributing three sets of fatigues per soldier, cost $7.1 million.
The military also began distributing a desert-print version of the uniform last year.
Sales said the Russian and American militaries have already begun testing urban camouflage.
"This is very much something that everybody is interested in pursuing,'' Sales said.
"But nothing exists yet and they're trying to see what they can do."
"They've had a number of preliminary meetings and are sharing information already," said Defence Department spokesman Jeremy Sales.
"All of the six allies that are involved in this are really trying to proceed down this road."
Sales said the Canadian Forces got the go-ahead to design a pattern this spring.
The decision was based on a Canadian- commissioned report that found it was possible to create a colour scheme that could fool infrared technology and better protect soldiers working in cities.
The big hurdle for the military is figuring out a pattern that protects troops as effectively in Ottawa as it would in Kabul.
The move to develop the new gear comes as Canada increasingly deploys its soldiers to missions in urban centres, rather than in forested environments where the relish camouflage is best.
"It's going to take a while because it really is a very complex issue," Sales said.
It took the Canadian Forces a decade to develop the temperate woodland pattern and successfully print it on a uniform.
The project, from designing the pattern to distributing three sets of fatigues per soldier, cost $7.1 million.
The military also began distributing a desert-print version of the uniform last year.
Sales said the Russian and American militaries have already begun testing urban camouflage.
"This is very much something that everybody is interested in pursuing,'' Sales said.
"But nothing exists yet and they're trying to see what they can do."