Flecktarn (also known as Flecktar or Flectar, or simply Fleck) is a type of 5-colour camouflage, introduced in the mid 1970s, which is still used widely by the Bundeswehr in Germany, as well as in Belgium, Denmark, and Japan. France tested Flecktarn for use but rejected it; the Dutch army tested and rejected it as well.
The word is a composite word from the German words Fleck (spot or blot) and Tarn (to camouflage). It is designed for the woodlands, as evidenced by its green, yellow, black, and brown hues. Unlike the American woodland camouflage, which uses large shapes, Flecktarn camouflage uses smaller shapes, like dots, over larger splotches, giving it the effect of many leaves or branches intertwining.
A variation on the Flecktarn camouflage is the Austrian camouflage, which is similar but utilizes browns much more than the German Flecktarn does. Another variation is used in Tibet by the Chinese military, and uses the colours tan, light green, medium brown, dark brown and black.
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