In 2020, the British Army trialled a new digital camouflage pattern on a Challenger 2 tank to explore improved concealment against modern sensors. Developed by Dstl and industry partners, the pixelated design aimed to disrupt both human vision and digital targeting systems. Tested by the Royal Tank Regiment during exercises, the project highlighted efforts to modernise the Army’s armoured fleet—not just with hardware, but with advanced camouflage technologies—linking into broader upgrades like the Challenger 3 programme.
Created by the British Army’s Armoured Trials and Development Unit (ATDU), the MCDC-5 digital camouflage is designed to make the 75-tonne Challenger 2 tank harder to detect. By delaying how quickly enemies can spot and target the tank, it boosts the chances of survival for the crew.
The “5” in MCDC-5 stands for the five types of paint used. Each has a different colour and is tailored to absorb or reflect heat and radar in unique ways. This distorts the tank’s outline to both the human eye and thermal sensors, making it harder to identify its shape, direction, and position. Some paints even create shine to further confuse observers, while others help it blend more naturally with the surroundings.
Looks cool. Hope that if they add it, that they’ll get the colors right. Seems like a lot of the current base game camo’s are way to bright or with incorrect colors. Market place skins usually seem closer to the correct colors.
But yeah, cool camo!
Isn’t this already in game?
Ah, kinda, it’s the basis for the 2F marketplace skin “Devilish”, the artist toned down the saturation a bit and added some decals, but yeah this is basically already in game.
