The Multicam pattern is becoming the mainstay camoulfage pattern for most Western armies with the Belgians being the latest to adopt the pattern made by Crye Precision. The Belgian Land Component has been using the M1999 Jigsaw camouflage pattern which was first introduced in the 1958 and has gone through several iterations with the most recent one being in 2016.

Early this month, a consortium comprised of Sioen, Seyntex, and Crye Precision (SSC) has been contracted to product the Belgian Defense Clothing System or BDCS for a total amount of €410 million for a period of fifteen years. The BDCS is made up clothing and accessories that are designed by Crye Precision such as the G4 tactical clothing and the High Loft Outerwear. Also to be included in the system are helmets, armor, and load bearing equipment as well as CBRN (Chemical, Bacteriological, Radioactive, Nuclear) equipment.

Also part of the BDCS is the production of women’s fit sizes as Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedeonder emphasized that it is important that women feel good in the uniform. It is also a recognition of the increasing role of women in Western military organizations.

By the start of 2023 it is expected that around 25,000 Belgian military personnel will start receiving the new camo pattern. Below is the machine translated press release from the Ministry of Defense:

SSC and Defense enter into a long-term strategic partnership for operational clothing

Brussels, 01 April 2022. The SSC consortium (Sioen, Seyntex, Crye Precision) was chosen to launch the ‘Belgian Defence Clothing System’ (BDCS) for Defence. For the next fifteen years, SSC will equip our soldiers with new operational clothing and accessories for a total budget of 410 million Euros.

Tomorrow’s operational clothing is multi-layered equipment. All the parts of the different layers will be complementary and integrated. Thus, optimal and appropriate protection can be guaranteed for our military men and women. This will also be the introduction of the new MultiCam camouflage pattern.

“I want to emphasise the seriousness of the design and development that ran over a period of two and a half years. In the end, today we are presenting high-performance, high-tech outfits, tested and approved by our experts and which are the result of collaborative work between industry and Defence. Such an approach which implies a real concern to meet the needs of the soldier,” declared Ludivine Dedonder, the Minister of Defence.

In the past, Seyntex and Sioen had already cooperated in the case of "Verbeterd Operationeel Soldaat Systeem" (VOSS) for the Netherlands Defence Forces. This time they extend their cooperation with Crye Precision, which is already the preferred supplier of several Special Forces within NATO, including the Belgian Special Forces.

Equipment Specific Features: The 2022 base offer shall include:

• G4 Combat shirt
• G4 Combat pant
• G4 Field shirt
• G4 Field pant
• High loft jacket
• High loft pants

During the term of the contract, the basic offer will be supplemented with additional clothing and equipment in order to obtain a complete integrated clothing system, including wool-based underwear, rainwear, CBRN equipment (chemical, bacteriological, radioactive, nuclear), ballistic protection (protective vests/helmet), backpacks, etc.

The range also includes clothing designed specifically for women and men. In addition, Defence has opted for a durable solution. Chemical finishes and membranes are avoided where possible. An agreement has also been reached to collect currently used clothing, process it in an environmentally friendly way and give it a second life.

Continuous improvement: The innovative pillar of this formula provides continuous improvement for our military. The SSC has a large catalogue. “If the contractor introduces new items into its catalogue, Defence can follow suit,” explains Major Olivier Bormans, project manager at DGMR Support Systems.

A uniform gives charisma to our soldiers and the new clothing system of the BDCS will contribute to this. This new look & feel, both in terms of patterns and quality, contributes to the well-being and motivation of our staff who must do their job comfortably and protected in all (weather) conditions.

Top photo: BDCS (Photo by Belgian MoD: Adrien Muylaert)