Disruptive Pattern Combat Uniform - Mid-point - DPCU

DPCU

A new DPDU variant known as 'Mid Point" was to be progressively introduced into selected service in Afghanistan (2010). Army chief Ken Gillespie toured Afghanistan showing off the new uniform. The pattern remained the same as that used for the DPCU and DPDU but with a light lime-yellow base colour, light grey, sand, olive-green and red-brown. The new variant was designed to overcome issues associated with operating in and around the "green belt" areas of Afghanistan (particularly in corn fields) where the DPDU was too light in colour but where the DPCU was too green for open areas. Trials however, showed that in most areas the original DPCU performed more effectively than the new Midpoint camouflage and it was not adopted. One criticism was that the new camouflage used colours that were still too biased towards desert operations. Australian special forces operating in Afghanistan have been seen wearing Crye's Multicam camouflage. A trial of MultiCam was undertaken and the decision made to broaden this trial for Australian operations in Afghanistan. In 2011, a contract was awarded to Crye to design a camouflage pattern with Multicam's effective colours but with a pattern changed to resemble the original DPCU. In October 2012, Australian troops about to deploy to Afghanistan were photographed wearing unifoms in the new pattern. Unlike the UK's MTP camouflage, the changes in pattern appear to have been confined to the darkest and lightest shapes which now mimic the unusual "bunny ears" or jelly bean" shapes of the original DPCU.