Inspired by the chameleon: this is the new uniform that the National Army will wear from this July 20

In order to advance in the consolidation of the objectives in the missions deployed, the National Army created the Camaleon Bicentenario Project, and, after 15 years of using the so-called pixelated jungle type uniform, and as part of the modernization process of the Force, it will be transformed. This evolution goes hand in hand with technology and innovation and will improve the mobility, maneuvering, and protection of personnel in the areas of operation.

In this new uniform, and thinking of the perfect camouflage, the figure of the hexagon was implemented, inspired by the modular scales of reptiles and amphibians, which have the ability to adapt to natural environments with ease.

The project was born 7 years ago with the first designs and the development of the concept. It took a year and a half of the methodological implementation required to achieve this; in this phase, a complete interdisciplinary team was formed, highly qualified, composed of military and civilians, consisting of textile chemical engineers, photographers, industrial and graphic designers, as well as biologists specialized in color statesmanship.

These people carried out a complete colorimetry study, which was based on the exploration of more than 1100 photographs, where about 37 million pixels and more than one million colors were analyzed. With this, 16 jungle prototypes and two desert-type prototypes were developed, which passed the most rigorous performance and mimicry tests with the aim of providing a higher quality camouflage.

Similarly, for these analyses, the Army had the support, accompaniment, and endorsement of the General Command of the Military Forces and the Subdirectorate of Technical Standards of the Ministry of National Defense, through several evaluation and validation working groups.

The design of the uniform is a great technical and technological advance, since it provides a modern camouflage, with a bionic pattern, with curves of organic and innovative shapes that position it at the forefront of the best Armies, and, in addition, to advance in the safety and protection of the life and integrity of the soldiers. The technology that incorporates the pattern of the camouflaged bicentennial chameleon is distinctive, its own, and innovative; this is how it currently has two industrial design registrations granted by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce and two certifications from the National Directorate of Copyright, as an artistic work.

As part of the symbology, in different parts of the textile, the silhouette of the map of Colombia was captured. This represents responsibility, commitment, and institutional loyalty to each and every one of the inhabitants throughout the national territory. In the same way and as part of the contribution to the care of the environment, the uniforms that end their useful life will enter a process of destruction and reuse by the textile manufacturing company and will be converted into raw material for the elaboration of other inputs.

The military logistics technology installed by the National Army will allow it to be designed, made, produced, and distributed autonomously, reducing costs in the implementation of the project. It is the Quartermaster Battalion No. 1 Las Juanas, located in the Caldas Canton, in the town of Puente Aranda de Bogotá, in charge of producing it, allowing it to be self-sufficient in its preparation.

Similarly, a reduction of more than 1700 million pesos in the raw material is generated, which represents a decrease of 9%, in relation to the production of the current uniform.

Camaleón Bicentenario will be implemented gradually, in phases, prioritizing the men and women who are in the development of military operations, fulfilling the constitutional mission under the precepts of Homeland, Honor, and Loyalty.