MARPAT

MARPAT (Marine Pattern)
A swatch of MARPAT-printed fabric in the woodland pattern variant
Type	Military camouflage pattern
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2002–present
Used by	U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy (primarily corpsmen, chaplains, and religious program specialists, all while attached to Marine Corps units; Worn with “U.S. Navy” nametapes and Navy rank & insignia) Navy ROTC (Marine-option midshipmen only) Marine Corps JROTC New York Naval Militia (Marine Reservist & prior-service Marine members only)[1] See Users for non-U.S. users
Wars	In US service: War in Afghanistan Iraq War In non-US service: Insurgency in Northeast India Naxalite-Maoist Insurgency Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Russo-Georgian war Insurgency in Northern Chad Syrian civil war Yemeni civil war Internal conflict in Myanmar (including the Myanmar civil war) Iranian intervention in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Designer	Timothy O'Neill, Anabela Dugas, Kenneth G. Henley, John Joseph Heisterman, Jr., Luisa DeMorais Santos, Gabriel R. Patricio, Deirdre E. Townes
Designed	2000–2001
Produced	2001–present
Variants	Desert MARPAT Woodland MARPAT Winter MARPAT (used only on select cold-weather outer-garments; While the pattern is still “digital,” it differs markedly from the other MARPAT variants)[2] Urban MARPAT (prototype only, never used operationally) See Design and colors for more details

MARPAT (short for Marine pattern)^[3] is a multi-scale camouflage pattern in use with the United States Marine Corps, designed in 2001 and introduced from late 2002 to early 2005 with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU), which replaced the Camouflage Utility Uniform. Its design and concept are based on the Canadian CADPAT pattern. The pattern is formed of small rectangular pixels of color. In theory, it is a far more effective camouflage than standard uniform patterns because it mimics the dappled textures and rough boundaries found in natural settings. It is also known as the "digital pattern" or "digi-cammies" because of its micropattern (pixels) rather than the old macropattern (big blobs).

The United States government has patented MARPAT, including specifics of its manufacture.^[4] By regulation, the pattern and items incorporating it, such as the MCCUU and ILBE backpack, are to be supplied by authorized manufacturers only and are not for general commercial sale, although imitations are available such as "Digital Woodland Camo" or "Digital Desert Camo".

MARPAT was also chosen because it distinctively identifies its wearers as Marines to their adversaries, while simultaneously helping its wearers remain concealed. This was demonstrated by a Marine spokesman at the launch of MARPAT, who stated: "We want to be instantly recognized as a force to be reckoned with. We want them to see us coming a mile away in our new uniforms."^[5] As such, the U.S. Marine Corps restricts use of the camouflage, preventing its use in most other divisions of the United States military with the exception of some elements of the U.S. Navy.