Tigerstripe
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Tigerstripe is the name of a group of camouflage patterns developed for close-range use in dense jungle environments (jungle warfare). It features small stripes of varying shades of green and brown, and large areas of black. It is from these black areas, which resemble the black stripes on a tiger, that the pattern got its name.
History
It is not clear who developed the first tigerstripe pattern. The French were using a variation of the pattern in Vietnam [link] at the same time as the British were using a similar pattern in Burma [link]. After the French left Vietnam, the ARVN continued to use the pattern. When the United States began sending advisors to South Vietnam, the advisors, who were attached to ARVN units, adopted the pattern. Soon, many American special operations forces in the Vietnamese theater of operations wore the pattern, even though many of them were not attached to South Vietnamese units. During the latter stages of the war, tigerstripe was gradually replaced by the then new ERDL pattern, a predecessor of the woodland BDU pattern. [link]Besides American and South Vietnamese forces, Australian and New Zealand soldiers and special forces troops also used Tiger Stripe camouflage uniforms while serving in Vietnam.
Current use
The militaries of Russia, [link] and many of the former Soviet states use variations of the tigerstripe pattern. The United States Air Force experimented with a uniform based on the Vietnamese version of tigerstripe, but the program was cancelled [link]. Some private companies manufacture variants of tigerstripe for the civilian market.In Movies, Television, and Video Games
Tigerstripe clothing is often seen in films and TV shows set during the Vietnam War, but the Russian and Cuban variations can also be seen. The following is a list of films, television shows, and video games in which characters are seen wearing tigerstripe.
- Red Dawn - Cuban soldiers (The "tiger stripe" uniforms that the Cuban soldiers were wearing were in fact the French "lizard"-pattern camouflage uniforms)
- Apocalypse Now - Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) can be seen wearing tigerstripe in some scenes. In others, he is wearing the standard poplin jungle fatigues.
- The Green Berets - Once they arrive in Vietnam, all of the main characters except for the young orphan, Hamchunk.
- Harsh Realm - Republican Guard special forces troops wore Tiger Stripe camouflage uniforms while regular Republican Guard troops wore olive-drab uniforms.
- Tour of Duty - Tiger Stripe camouflage uniforms were worn by both US and South Vietnamese soldiers in the TV series.
- - The main character, Naked Snake, can choose to wear Tiger Stripe camouflage if he is in a situation that calls for it.
See also
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