The new uniform with the digital camouflage pattern, similar to the one used by the British Army, will be showcased at the 2022 Army Day parade on January 15. While soldiers wear the combat uniform in operational areas, officers posted in the Army headquarters in New Delhi also wear the combat dress on Fridays in solidarity with men operating in the forward areas

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army is set to replace its decades-old battle fatigues with a new combat uniform that will provide soldiers better camouflage, more comfort, and uniformity in design, officials familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The new uniform with the digital camouflage pattern, similar to the one used by the British Army, will be showcased at the 2022 Army Day parade on January 15, said one of the officials cited above. It is expected to be introduced in the army by August 2022, said another official. The digitised print will vary with terrains such as mountains, deserts, and jungles.

The new uniform pattern has been selected after a careful study of the army’s working requirements and the need to introduce uniformity in battle fatigues worn by soldiers. Variations in the existing uniform pattern worn by soldiers have drawn criticism from some quarters. The National Institute of Fashion Technology has helped the army finalise the new uniform.

Experts said the need for a combat uniform switchover was long felt. “The cloth quality was not that good compared to the uniform of other modern militaries. Also, there was an issue of uniformity of pattern. With the advancement in detection capabilities, it was important to go for digitised prints to achieve proper camouflage,” said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General BS Jaswal (Retd).

While soldiers wear the combat uniform in operational areas, officers posted in the Army headquarters in New Delhi also wear the combat dress on Fridays in solidarity with men operating in the forward areas. Unlike in the existing combat uniform, the shirt will not be tucked inside the trouser in the new battle fatigues.