The Netherlands Fractal Pattern will soon become the new camouflage of the Dutch military. From 2026 onwards, Dutch military personnel will receive their new combat clothing. The Royal Netherlands Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and the Royal Marechaussee will all receive new equipment. In this article, I explain what led up to this change and which camouflage pattern each branch will wear.

Nederlandse lezers: dit artikel is beschikbaar op Prettybusiness.nl.

 

Development of new combat clothing and Netherlands Fractal Pattern for Dutch military

The Ministry of Defence will likely feel some relief now that the new combat clothing is arriving and being stored at the Clothing and Personal Equipment Agency (KPU). After all, the project has required a great deal of time, money and effort.

In 2008, the Ministry of Defence began developing a new camouflage pattern. At that time, several patterns were in use, with Multicam and Woodland among the best known. These patterns had existed for many years and are often referred to as analogue prints, meaning they were originally developed by hand. However, as the world changes, camouflage patterns must evolve as well. Otherwise, they may no longer function effectively.

For ten years, the Dutch Ministry of Defence worked with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to study environments around the world. Researchers analysed environmental colours and how they interact. Their findings led to the development of a new camouflage pattern: the Netherlands Fractal Pattern (NFP). Designers created the pattern using computer technology, making it a digital camouflage pattern. If you are interested in the reasons why countries choose one pattern over another, you can read the article I recently wrote about digital camouflage.

 

Netherlands Fractal Pattern

The new NFP pattern has been developed in five different colour combinations. These variations allow it to be used in snowy environments, at sea and across various land terrains.

Developing new combat clothing is not a simple task, and the project therefore faced considerable delays. As a result, the Ministry of Defence introduced a temporary uniform. This uniform already featured the new NFP pattern, but it did not yet include the final design or fit. The temporary package included combat trousers, a combat jacket, a rain jacket, a combat shirt and a baseball cap.

Dutch military personnel have worn this equipment since 2022. However, even before everyone received the gear, the combat clothing already started appearing for sale online. If you would like to read more about this, I previously wrote an article about the sale of these uniforms on Marktplaats. De Telegraaf and several regional newspapers later published that article.

 

New combat clothing for Dutch military

Dutch military personnel will now finally receive their definitive new combat clothing. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has named the system the Defence Operational Clothing System (DOKS). This clothing system uses multiple layers and integrates with soldiers’ equipment.

With a layered system, military personnel can wear the different garments separately or combine them, allowing them to adapt their clothing to specific conditions and missions.

The Navy will receive clothing in NFP Blue, while the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps will wear NFP Green. The Royal Marechaussee will receive a separate Mono-Blue pattern, which the Ministry of Defence will deliver in the near future.

When designing the fit, the Ministry of Defence paid close attention to the diversity of the human body. As a result, the clothing should fit a wide range of body types. Designers also gave special attention to the fit for women, an issue the organisation has worked on for many years.

Dutch Defence does not stand still

Several projects are currently improving uniforms and personal protective equipment. For example, the Dutch Ministry of Defence has already introduced a fragmentation vest designed specifically for women. Female personnel can now also choose to wear a dress alongside the traditional trouser or skirt uniform.

Because I worked as an advisor on a project within the Dutch Ministry of Defence last year, I know that at least one additional initiative is currently focusing on improving the female uniform.

This shows that the Dutch Ministry of Defence continues to invest in the protection of both female and male military personnel. And that is essential, especially in uncertain times. After all, no one knows which direction the world will take. Being well prepared is half the battle.

If you would like to read more about Dutch military uniforms and equipment, also see these articles:

• Logos of Defence misused on clothing
• New shoes for Dutch military personnel
• Towels made from old army uniforms during the NATO summit

Greetings,

Aileen