China

Camouflage Patterns of the Chinese Armed Forces

• Sources indicate the first style camouflage introduced for the PLA (People's Liberation Army) was a four-color disruptive design having black, mid-brown and moss green disruptive shapes on pale green background. Coloration and shapes suggest this may have been a crude attempt at copying the British Army DPM camouflage pattern, possibly from photographs. This pattern dates to the mid-1970s, and would have been limited to use by sappers, commandos and airborne troops.

• The first style Type 81 reversible camouflage uniform was printed on one side with a DPM like design, and on the opposite with a duck hunter camouflage pattern. Introduced in the mid- to -late 1970s, the uniforms would have seen service into the 1980s, including the Sino-Vietnamese War.

• The second Type 81 reversible uniform features a slightly different disruptive pattern printed on one side, with a color variation of the duck hunter pattern on the reverse side. This pattern was also used during the Sino-Vietnamese War.

• The third Type 81 reversible uniform has a sparse three color irregular spot pattern camouflage on one side, and the same duck hunter camouflage pattern as the second type on the reverse side.

• A variation of the duck hunter camouflage pattern printed on the Type 81 uniform was also issued to the Airborne forces of the People's Liberation Air Force (PLAF), from the late 1970s into the 1980s. As with all early Chinese issue uniforms, the fabric was lightweight and not very durable.

• Throughout the 1980s, the PLA experimented with a number of woodland-type camouflage designs for issue to Chinese Special Forces personnel. The two patterns seen below are from the early (1981-82) and late (1989) period.

• The PLA adopted its version of the woodland camouflage pattern in 1987, and continued to field the pattern in one form or another until 2007 when the pixelated designs were introduced. Different style uniforms in this pattern have also been exported to several countries around the world, including Albania and several nations in Africa.

• The People's Liberation Navy (PLN) introduced an "Oceanic" variation of the standard woodland camouflage for use by Chinese Marines in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Using essentially the same drawings, the pattern incoporates black, dark olive and blue woodland shapes on very pale blue background. This pattern would remain in use until approximately 1999.

• The duck hunter spot pattern issued previously on reversible camouflage uniforms (and to the PLAF Airborne forces) was re-introduced in a slightly more bold coloration in the mid-1990s, reputedly for wear by personnel operating in low mountain or hilly regions regions.

• Another pattern from the mid-1990s is the Plateau or Mountain pattern, sometimes called the "winter pattern." Featuring black, brown & olive green woodland shapes on tan background, the pattern was primarily issued to PLA units operating in northern temperate regions & arid regions of China in fall/winter.

• A vertical leaf camouflage pattern was also produced at this time for PLA units serving in the Guangdong (广东省) region of China, although it was probably issued to PLA units serving elsewhere also.

• The PLAF Airborne Divisions began wearing a four-colour urban pattern on parades around 1999. This particular design does not seem to be worn operationally, but only as a mark of their elite status.

• Around 1999, the PLN replaced the old "Oceanic" camouflage design with a pattern based on the US m81 woodland camouflage drawings, but having black, dark blue, and blue grey-woodland shapes on a pale lavender background. This would be replaced in 2007 by the new pixelated design.

• PLA Special Forces began wearing a copy of the US six-color desert camouflage pattern around 1999-2000. The pattern does not appear to have been issued to conventional units.

• A copy of the German Army's Flecktarn camouflage design has been issued from 2001 to some PLA Border Defense units in NE China during summer & for physical training by PLA personnel.

• Introduced in 2003, The PLA Tibet Region pattern is a brown-dominant variation of the German Flecktarn design. The pattern is in service with PLA units operating in Tibet & the Beijing Military Region. Also issued with the uniform is a quilted fleece jacket (below, right) printed in the camouflage pattern.

• In 2003, a true copy of the US m81 woodland camouflage pattern was introduced for issue to the PLA. The pattern was replaced in 2007 by the new series of pixelated camouflage designs.

• Around this same period, China also produced a copy of the US tricolor desert pattern for issue to Special Forces. The pattern would have seen limited distribution, as it would be replaced in 2007 by the new series of pixelated designs.

• Also in 2003, a modified copy of the US MARPAT camouflage design was tested by PLA Special Forces. The design is essentially the same, with the pixels being reduced in size by about 25%. It also lacks the EGA logo of the USMC. This was a short-lived design, having been replaced by the pixelated designs in 2007.

• Circa 2004-2005 the PLA Special Forces began wearing a DPM pattern similar to that worn by the Philippines.

• Type 07 general issue pixelated pattern, introduced in 2007.

• The arid version of the Type 07 pixelated pattern, introduced in 2007.

• The "Oceanic" version of the Type 07 pixelated pattern, used by the Chinese Navy and Marines.

• The tropical version of the Type 07 pixelated pattern.

Armed Police

• Armed Police 1st pattern. Used during the 1980s. This is very similar to the first pattern originally introduced for PLA Special Forces, but the shapes are different.

• First introduced in the late 1980s, a vertical "leaf" camouflage design continued to be worn by units of the Armed Police operating in tropical or forested regions well into the 1990s. Although the colors varied from the original design to later productions, the shapes remained essentially the same.

• The Armed Police bright orange pattern is used by Forest Fighting Units, since around 2005.

• Type 05 digitized pattern - in use since 2005

• Type 07 digitized pattern - in use since 2007