M-Tac Helmet Cover With Shroud Cutout

The helmet cover from M-TAC is specially designed for the TOR-D helmet or similar models. The cover is intended for camouflage in rough terrain, provides good protection against minor mechanical damage and prevents sun glare. This model has a special opening that gives access to the mount for night vision devices (NVD).

The cover is made of mesh material, so it completely covers the round shape of the helmet without increasing its silhouette. On the back there is an insert made of Cordura 500D – an extremely durable material that is resistant to abrasion and heavy loads.

The cover is easy to fit on the helmet and features velcro panels on the sides, back and top for identification markers and patches. At the back of the cover there is a velcro-closed flap that allows the cables of active hearing protection to be secured. Special straps along the cover allow additional camouflage elements to be attached.

The "MULTICAM" camouflage pattern was developed by the American company Crye Precision in collaboration with the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, commonly known as U.S. Army Natick Labs.

The development of the MULTICAM pattern took more than eight years and included expeditions, scientific research, data analysis and practical field tests. It was designed as a universal camouflage option for the US Army.

The need for a new camouflage became apparent after Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. At that time, the camouflage patterns in use, such as Woodland for forested areas and Tri-Color Desert for desert operations, did not provide sufficient protection against visual detection. Each operation still required specialised camouflage, which complicated supply logistics and reduced the safety of soldiers.

Even after the introduction of a new universal digital camouflage (Digital) during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the situation did not improve significantly. It became clear that a single universal pattern was needed that could help soldiers blend into any terrain and at any distance from an observer.

The goal was to create camouflage that worked equally well against different backgrounds, including vegetation, desert, rocky areas, urban environments and ruins, under different lighting conditions and in all climates year-round.

How does this camouflage work? Creating such a versatile pattern seemed almost impossible. However, the designers used the limitations of human vision and the structure of the eye to their advantage. In theory, effective camouflage at long distances should consist of large, blurred patches. At shorter distances, especially against backgrounds of foliage and vegetation, where the human eye more easily perceives small objects, the pattern should contain small, rounded elements in the dominant background colours.

The developers found that the dominant background colours in most areas of the world have similar shades of green and brown. An important discovery was that black, which is often used in camouflage patterns worldwide, does not actually occur in nature. By combining their findings with computer simulations, in which more than a thousand images were layered on top of each other, the developers succeeded in creating the MULTICAM pattern.

Near Infrared (NIR) technology is used by the US Department of Defense to minimise the risk of being detected by NIR electro-optical sensors. These sensors register infrared radiation. NIR uniforms are made of a special fabric that helps soldiers maintain a temperature similar to that of the surrounding landscape, making them harder to detect. In addition, NIR technology reduces light reflection, so uniforms become less visible in poor lighting conditions.