IN ONE of its biggest operational revamps in 25 years, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be getting new military combat fatigues.

The new No. 4 - what the current uniform is known as - will help soldiers hide more effectively in the jungle, and it looks similar to what United States Marines don.

This will help a soldier "achieve greater overall mission success", said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) yesterday.

The uniform will feature new technology that uses smaller pixels of colour to create a complex pattern.

The SAF developed this pixelated pattern with the Defence Science & Technology Agency. Research development started early last year.

"Pixels were used to break up boundary lines and to generate a quivering effect. This affects the ability of the eye to see solid lines, and the brain to detect recognisable shapes, resulting in a slower detection rate of the pixelated camouflage pattern at short distances," Mindef said.

Viewed at longer distances, the pixelated camouflage works like the traditional camouflage.

The present uniform - introduced in 1983 - has larger splotches of colour, such as black, brown and green printed in an interlocking pattern.

Besides helping to avoid detection by the enemy, the new uniform also has "a new fabric that has higher permeability".

Its design also allows ergonomic integration with a soldier's personal equipment, preventing abrasions and removing pressure points.

The new combat uniform will be phased in over three years, starting from January next year.

There are about 300,000 active and full-time national servicemen.



myp@sph.com.sg