Camouflage the Israeli way

Approximately three years ago the IDF Anti-Terror school established a 3-week ‘camouflage course' to teach the art of camouflage to all Israeli soldiers in combat billets

The soldiers in this video are a part of the IDF “Chameleon Company”, a subordinate command of the IDF Central Command Intelligence Corps.

“The observations are conducted after carrying heavy equipment on foot for up to ten kilometers, in open and urban terrain in hostile territory,” says Company Commander Major Nadav. “The fighters are equipped withadvanced surveillance equipment, and conduct observations from inside a very small observation post. A squad can be out in the field for between 72 and 120 hours, and in certain circumstances, even more.”

There are other IDF units with a great mastery of camouflage of course. The Sayeret Egoz, for example, is a part of the Golani Brigade. It was originally established to conduct guerilla warfare and long range reconnaissance in  Lebanon, a region substantially greener than the desert of Israel's arid south. They are one of the best trained units in the IDF when it comes to camouflage (and other matters, presumably).

In addition to building hide sites and ghillie-suit type concealment gear, IDF personnel utilize camouflage gear that mitigates heat, IR and radar signatures. They also utilize the ubiquitous Mitznefet “chef hat” (מצנפת) to break up the outline of the head and helmet. The mitzfenet, typically reversible from desert-woodland, is about as recognizably Israeli as the Tavor – and for those of you who want one, Agilite (a company founded and operated by IDF and US SOF personnel) will soon have mitzfenets available for commercial purchase in MultiCam.

You can read more about the IDF's camouflage training here and here.

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