Camouflage Central-Europe

French woodland camouflage pattern

Camouflage Central-Europe

A CCE swatch fabric sample

Type| Military camouflage
Place of origin| France
Service history
In service| 1994–present
Used by| See Users
Wars| Bosnian War
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Operation Serval
Production history
Manufacturer| 1991–present
Variants| See § Variants

The Camouflage Central-Europe (French: Camouflage Centre-Europe) is the standard camouflage pattern of the French Armed Forces.[1]

It is also used for vehicles of the French Army but with different shapes, since 1986,[2] it took six years to generalize it to the entire military fleet. It is now being replaced since 2020 by the "Scorpion Camouflage" which is intended for new generation vehicles.[3]

## History

[edit]

Camouflage Central-Europe (CCE) was introduced in 1991,[4] replacing both TAP 47 pattern camouflage and khaki F2 uniforms as used by the French military. But the pattern was brought to service by 1994.[5]

In 2018, a contract worth €50 million was made for new combat suits in CCE camo pattern.[6]

Two variants of the CCE are used in French military uniforms, which consist of the Uniform T3 and the Uniform T4.[7] In 2019, the Tenue Combat F3 uniform was announced to be the standard uniform in CCE for the French Army.[8]

In 2024, the CCE is being replaced by a Multicam-based camo called the BME.[9][10]

## Design

[edit]

The French Army's Tenue De Combat F3 uniform in CCE.

It is suggested that the design of the CCE was primarily based around the summer foliage of Fontainebleau forest.[11] The design is made of black branches and large horizontal medium green and brown colored elements on a tan background,[11] being inspired by the U.S. Woodland pattern.[12]

* French body armour and helmet covers in Camouflage Central-Europe.

* Moussa Dadis Camara of the Guinean Army wearing CCE in 2009.

## Users

[edit]

* Austria: Vests with the pattern used by Austrian Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina soldiers in 2004.[11]
* Cape Verde: Used by the Cape Verdean National Guard.[13]
* Central African Republic: CCE clones used by CAR military units.[14]
* Comoros: CCE clones used by Comoran military units.[15]
* France: Introduced by the French military in 1991,[4] but only adopted in service in 1994.[5]
* India: Used a similar camouflage pattern inspired by CCE for Indian troops from 2006, officially designated as PC-DPM[16] Being replaced by new disruptive digital pattern made by NIFT from 2022.[17] To be retired by 2026.[18]
* Russia: Used by Alpha Group.
* Qatar: Used by Qatari troops deployed to Lebanon in 2006.[19]
* Ukraine: Used by Maksym I.(surnom - Français) and Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment.[20]
* United Arab Emirates: UAE troops wore CCE uniforms in Kosovo during peacekeeping operations.[21]

## See also

[edit]

* Camouflage Daguet, the French military's desert camouflage pattern.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Armée de Terre et projet « Combattant 2020 »".
2. ^ "Armée de Terre : Révolutionnaire, le "camouflage adaptatif en milieu terrestre" pourrait être prêt en 2025". Zone Militaire (in French). 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
3. ^ "La couleur de l'été, c'est le Brun Terre de France". lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 2022-01-14.
4. ^ a b "The Complex Guide to Camo". Complex Networks.
5. ^ a b "UF PRO Begins Producing Limited Quantity of Striker X BDUs in High-Performing French CCE Camo Pattern - Soldier Systems Daily". 25 March 2022.
6. ^ "French Central European Camo Combat Suits". 17 December 2019.
7. ^ "Uniforms | French Foreign Legion Information".
8. ^ "French Army Introduces New Combat Uniform - Soldier Systems Daily". 14 June 2018.
9. ^ "French Army adopts new BME multi-environment combat uniform | Defense News May 2022 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2022 | Archive News year". 13 May 2022.
10. ^ "L'armée de Terre se dote d'un nouveau camouflage". www.defense.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
11. ^ a b c "kamouflage.net — Centre Europe". 2014-03-22. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
12. ^ "Little Known Facts and History about Camouflage of the Western World". 2 March 2016.
13. ^ Larson (2021), p. 15.
14. ^ Larson (2021), p. 16.
15. ^ Larson (2021), p. 21.
16. ^ "India - Camopedia". www.camopedia.org. Retrieved 2022-01-15.[better source needed]
17. ^ "Army displays new combat uniform for first time". Hindustan Times. 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
18. ^ "Stock not exhausted, Army extends deadline on use of old combat uniform by a year". The Indian Express. 2024-08-13. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-15.
19. ^ Larson (2021), p. 305.
20. ^ "Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment", Wikipedia, 2022-10-06, retrieved 2022-10-21[circular reference]
21. ^ Larson (2021), p. 340.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Larson, Eric H. (2021). Camouflage: International Ground Force Patterns, 1946–2017. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 9781526739537.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Camouflage Centre Europe.

* v
* t
* e

Camouflage

Methods|

* Camouflage
* Countershading
* Active camouflage
* Counter-illumination
* Disruptive coloration
* Coincident disruptive coloration
* Disruptive eye mask
* Distractive markings
* Motion camouflage
* Multi-scale camouflage
* Multi-spectral camouflage
* Self-decoration
* Snow camouflage
* Urban camouflage

In nature|

* As evidence for natural selection
* Crypsis
* Decorator crab
* Flower mantis
* Mimicry
* Batesian
* Müllerian
* Aggressive
* Underwater camouflage

People|

| Early|

* Edward Bagnall Poulton
* The Colours of Animals
* Abbott Handerson Thayer
* Concealing-Coloration in the Animal Kingdom

|

Camoufleurs|

* Mary Taylor Brush
* Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola
* John Graham Kerr
* Norman Wilkinson
* Everett Warner
* Leon Underwood
* Johann Georg Otto Schick
* Hugh Cott
* Adaptive Coloration in Animals
* Geoffrey Barkas
* Timothy O'Neill

Researchers|

* Roy Behrens
* Tim Caro
* Innes Cuthill
* Thomas N. Sherratt
* Martin Stevens

Military|

| Topics|

* Military camouflage
* Aircraft camouflage
* Camouflage clothing in Trinidad and Tobago
* Dazzle camouflage
* List of countries that prohibit camouflage clothing
* Middle East Command Camouflage Directorate
* Ship camouflage
* USN WWII camouflage measures

|

Patterns|

| Up to WWII|

| German
WWII|

* Splittertarnmuster (1931)
* Platanenmuster (1937)
* Rauchtarnmuster (1939)
* Palmenmuster (c 1941)
* Sumpfmuster (1943)
* Erbsenmuster (1944)
* Leibermuster (1945)

|

Other|

* Camouflage tree (1915)
* Lozenge (1917 aircraft)
* Telo mimetico (1929 tent)
* Denison smock (1941)
* Frog skin (1942)
* Ghillie suit

Post-war|

* Lizard (1947)
* Strichtarn (1960)
* KLMK (1968)

Late 20th
century|

* Jigsaw (1958)
* Tiger stripe (1962)
* Rhodesian Brushstroke (1965)
* ERDL (1967)
* Disruptive Pattern Material (1969)
* wz. 68 Moro (1969)
* Six-Color Desert Pattern (Chocolate Chip) (1981)
* U.S. "M81" Woodland (1981)
* Australian Disruptive Pattern (1982)
* TAZ 83 (1983)
* M84 (1984)
* Type 87 (China) (1987)
* wz. 89 Puma (1989)
* Camouflage Daguet (1989)
* M90 (1990)
* Desert Night Camouflage (1990)
* Flecktarn (1990)
* Tropentarn (1990)
* Desert Camouflage Pattern (1990)
* Camouflage Central-Europe (1991)
* Soldier 2000 (1993)
* TAZ 90 (1993)
* wz. 93 Pantera (1993)
* CADPAT (1997)
* Dubok (1997)
* M98 (1998)
* Flora (1998)

21st
century|

* MARPAT (2001) (Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (2002))
* MultiCam (2002)
* Tactical Assault Camouflage (2004)
* Universal Camouflage Pattern (2004)
* ESTDCU (2006)
* M05 (2007)
* Airman Battle Uniform (2007)
* Type 07 (2007)
* EMR (2008)
* Multi-Terrain Pattern (2010)
* Australian Multicam (2014)
* MM-14 (2014)
* Varan (camouflage) (2015)
* HunCam (2015)
* Operational Camouflage Pattern (2015)
* Netherlands Fractal Pattern (2019)
* Xingkong (2019)
* K20 (2020)

Technology|

| Deployed|

* Berberys-R
* Nakidka

|

Prototypes|

* Diffused lighting camouflage (1941)
* Yehudi lights (1943)
* Adaptiv (2011)

Related|

* Dazzled and Deceived
* Stealth technology
* Cloaking device
* Invisibility

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