blobs (matching the "rocky"
parts from the six-color desert
camouflage) were disrupting
the image in the device. In 1981
US Armed Forces started to
field (in very limited numbers
and only for the rapid deploy-
ment forces sent to the Middle
East), six-color day desert cam-
ouflage uniforms and desert
night camouflage parkas and
overpants (with liners for cold
desert nights). It changed dra-
matically when Iraq invaded
Kuwait and Operation Desert
Storm began. Massive numbers
of US soldiers were issued with
day and night camouflage uni-
forms. But it appeared that DNC
is no longer effective against
night vision as the advance-
ments made in NVD technology
for 15 years were essentially
a leap. The dyes used in DNC
parkas were… glowing in the
more modern night vision de-
vices from the 1980s and at
the same time, daytime camou-
flage pattern was printed with
near-infrared compliant dyes
making it effective in night vi-
sion devices too.
The DNC parkas became ob-
solete and were mostly used for
non-combat rear echelon duties
like guards, insulation layer or
as… bathrobes. They were use-
less on the modern battlefield
of the 1990 era. But they were
loved for their thermal comfort
when used with liners. After the
Gulf War DNC items were sur-
plused.
Desert Night Camo returned
for a while when US Special
Forces operators were issued
with reversible Gore-Tex par-
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