Already tested: The Nordic combat uniform

The field test phase of the "Nordic Combat Uniform" project has been completed. HERE we reported on the start of the tests. Extensive field tests of uniform configurations for moderate and cold weather were conducted in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, with a total of 420 military personnel participating. Simultaneously with the tests in the Nordic countries, field tests for jungle and desert uniform configurations were conducted at the Australian Defense Force training centers in Queensland and South Australia by a Danish military command, as reported by Strike-Hold.

The Nordic Combat Uniform (NCU) is a collaboration between Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden with the aim of procuring a common, multi-layered and integrated system of field/combat uniforms and accessories.

The project is being conducted within the framework of Nordic military cooperation NORDEFCO. The current uniforms are based on the so-called Layer-on principle, but the new Nordic combat uniform will be a unified system of underwear, mid-layer, and outerwear. The European configuration consists of a common intermediate layer providing comfort down to -19 degrees Celsius, and a cold weather addition offering protection down to -46 degrees Celsius.

The new uniform system will consist of the same clothing designs in all four countries, but will feature the respective camouflage patterns of each country. Soldiers from all four participating countries have tested the uniforms in the "European Area" version, while Denmark has field-tested the jungle and desert configurations, and Norway, Sweden, and Finland have conducted additional tests of the cold weather configurations.

In the images above (click to enlarge), the four different versions of the "European" NCU system can be seen. A more detailed examination can be found on the blog of Taktisk.se, unfortunately only in Swedish.

Each nation will continue to use its own current camouflage, at least for Denmark (which adopted MultiCam in 2011) and Finland (which introduced its new digital pattern in 2005). The future status of the Norwegian camouflage pattern - used since 1975 - is less clear.

However, Sweden has revealed that it is considering an update to the current M/90 pattern with some modifications, including the addition of copyright and authenticity protection. Major Magnus Hallberg, System Manager of the Swedish Armed Forces for personal equipment and Deputy Chairman of the NATO Land Capability Group on Dismounted Soldier Systems, said: "Yes, we are dealing with a new pattern. In this case, we want to use the basics of the current pattern, but adapt it so that we can obtain pattern protection."

The decision on the supplier of the Nordic combat uniform is scheduled for the end of 2020, with the uniforms being delivered to the participating countries from 2021-2023. Headgear, gloves, footwear, and personal protective equipment are not part of the NCU - each participating country will continue to procure these independently.

NORDEFCO online: www.nordefco.org

Special THX to Strike-Hold