Original A-TACS AU Camo (Arid Urban) was developed by Digital Concealment Systems, (DCS) to answer the call for better and more effective camouflage system integration for Special Operations personnel in any service branch from military to law enforcement. A-TACS AU is designed as a universal pattern for a wide range of operational environments with additional supporting color and design variants following it’s initial introduction.
Many of the modern digital camouflage patterns currently in use by the tactical community have flaws. There are two major categories of Tactical Concealment camouflage systems that have become the baseline for the past half-century.
Digital Geometric-based patterns – Designed to blend into the “background noise” of the environment, the hard edges and pixelated shapes used to create the distortion effect do not replicate the shapes, forms and shadows of the environment they are deployed in-especially when viewed through optics. The ninety-degree angles and limited use of natural colors can in many cases, make detection easier making these types of patterns not as effective as they should be.
Organic “Blob” Camouflage systems – The oldest of the two classes of patterns and the most common, these patterns employ interlocking irregular blobs in variable colors and tones to simulate environmental terrain. The color palettes are often limited and the designs can be overly simplistic due limited printing and engraving technology at the time.
A-TACS Camo was the first pattern in a new class of hybrid patterns that fit into neither category and addressed and improved on the old style designs in three ways.
1. – Replace un-natural square pixels with organic pixels. Utilizing a unique process, we created a palette of natural colors digitally sampled from real-world elements in carefully controlled lighting. The pattern is then created using a mathematical algorithm that writes “organically-shaped” pixels using the specific color information given. The resulting pattern while still digital, is far more organic in appearance.
2. – Use small patterns to create larger more distinct shapes designed to work at a distance. Small shapes create larger shapes and larger shapes are organized into a distinct pattern with no horizontal or vertical orientation. This unique “pattern within a pattern” concept allows A-TACS® to effectively break the human outline at great distances thereby, minimizing the “blobbing” effect of other patterns when viewed from a distance.
3. – More effective use of color-range produces a better concealment system. A-TACS® is created using a far greater range of inter-mingled natural colors than was previously possible. The overall base color for the cast is a neutral tan which is designed for use in open, rocky or arid environments.
