Kosovo Security Force M2012 Digital Pattern

Kosovo Security Force CAU team member, photographed during 12th Annual Warrior Competition, wearing M2012 digital pattern trousers and load vest ~ arm patch is the emblem of the KSF [© Bob Morrison]

At the recent 12th Annual Warrior Competition I had the opportunity to photograph the M2012 digital camo pattern worn by the Kosovo Security Force, writes Bob Morrison.

Formed in early 2009, following the February 2008 Declaration of Independence and subsequent dissolution of the Kosovo Protection Corps, with the aim of gradually replacing the NATO-led KFOR (Kosovo Force), the Kosovo Security Force (Forca e Sigurisë së Kosovës in Albanian) is currently in the process of transformation into an all-professional Kosovo Armed Forces capable of meeting NATO standards.

Kosovo CAU team racing to eliminate a High Value Target in a nearby building after concluding an aircraft take-down and successfully retrieving info giving the HVT’s precise location [© Bob Morrison]

The KSF team which competed at 12AWC in Jordan were drawn from the elite Civil Affairs Unit or CAU, established in 2019 and mentored by US Special Operations Civil Affairs with the long-term goal of forming a Kosovo Armed Forces Special Operations Command on a par with those of some of the longer-established NATO Balkans nations.

There are only three basic shades used for KSF M2012 pattern but occasionally when colours ovelap this gives the illusion of additional shades ~ note also the ‘ripstop’ squares [© Bob Morrison]

Seen printed on Cordura fabric the dark green shade appears almost black and there is no evidence of a fourth colour being printed[© Bob Morrison]

Turning now to the M2012 KSF digital / pixellated camo pattern, this is a predominantly horizontal design which is not too dissimilar to the M2008 Turkish three-colour pattern but with the exception of the palette which only uses shades from the green portion of the spectrum; Turkey’s outgoing pattern (being replaced by a pattern somewhat akin to Italian Vegetata) has a russet shade in the mix. Although M2012 KSF only appears to use a light green, a dark green and a khaki or olive drab shade the way the patterns overlap and colours leech gives the impression that their might be a fourth colour in there… but I reckon this is just an optical illusion.

Kosovo Security Force CAU team member, photographed during 12th Annual Warrior Competition, wearing M2012 digital pattern trousers and load vest [© Bob Morrison]

Out in the KASOTC stone quarries on a sunny day in June there is so much reflected light around, not too mention a lot of dust and sand in the air, that up close both the eye and the camera can sometimes be fooled, but I am pretty sure that M2012 KSF is basically just a three-colour pattern. It would have helped if the guys had been wearing their combat shirts without load vests to allow me to both see and photograph a comparatively large panel on somebody’s back, but with the mercury at times nudging 40°C in the shade it is unsurprising they opted for T-shirts instead.

Although a very recently formed SpecOps Capable unit, the Kosovo team seemed to impress both fellow competitors and hardened veteran instructors at KOSTC [© Bob Morrison]

In closing, despite being a comparatively small and fledgling unit, the KSF CAU team finished well inside the top half of the 2022 Warrior Competition final results list, immediately behind the two elite DENSUS 88 AT teams from Indonesia, which meant they were also the third highest ranking European SpecOps team! Nice one guys.

Comparison shot of Turkish M2008 pattern which, though quite similar, definitely has brown as its third colour [© Bob Morrison]

Camo, Camouflage, Featured, Kit and Camo, Kosovo