The standard M2015 camouflage pattern worn by conventional branches of the Qatar Armed Forces is best described as a digital / splinter hybrid, writes Bob Morrison.
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At the recent DIMDEX 2026 exhibition and conference in Doha I was able to photograph a selection of Qatar Armed Forces uniforms, both on serving personnel and on mannequins displayed on the national uniform designers’ stand. (I have also been able to photograph Qatari Special Forces uniforms, but as these are DPM derivatives I plan to feature them separately.)
Although Qatari Armed Forces (QAF) M2015 pattern is worn by Army, Air Force (including Air Defence Force) and Navy branches of the services, it appears under exhibition lighting that the colours of the Navy uniforms may be a little more greyish than those of the other arms of service, but alternatively the use of different fabrics might just account for the perceived difference. Regrettably I did not get the chance to stand a sailor alongside a soldier or airman in flat daylight conditions, so please don’t take my statement as being definitive.
Clearly computer generated, but not really describable as digital or pixelated like the late 20th century CADPAT designs and similar derived patterns which became popular at the start of the new millennium, QAF M2015 is an angular disruptive pattern rather than being mimetic. Obviously the pattern shapes vary considerably in size with straight edges being prominent but, unlike conventional ‘splinter’ patterns, most of the larger Qatari camo shapes also have fragmented edges made up of very small rectangle, rhombus and triangle shapes. The general pattern has an overall horizontal bias and, unlike most ‘digital’ camo patterns, the shapes are neither square nor rectangular.
This is essentially a four-colour camo, with three shades of brown over-printed on a light Stone base fabric; however pattern ghosting can give the impression of there being a faint fifth colour. If I were asked to assign standard names to the three shades used on Army uniforms I think I’d go for Bone, Khaki and Umber… but, as always, both the viewer’s perception of colours and the type of light they are seen / photographed under come into play. The type of fabric and use of different cloth manufacturers can also lead to variations.
Although I have worked with and photographed Qatari military personnel in the field, they were mostly wearing Special Forces camo rather than the standard M2015 pattern, plus regrettably no opportunity arose on my recent trip to Doha to photograph troops outdoors, so I cannot judge how well this camouflage works in the field. However while it might not be an obvious choice for wear in open sandy desert, I suspect it could work well in dusty urban environments on the Arabian peninsula.
¤ I should like to express my thanks to those Qatari military personnel who posed for us and to the Brigadier who gave permission and smoothed my path. BM
[images © Bob Morrison]
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