Middle East and Desert Storm camo
The Camo Guide › Middle East and Desert Storm camo
From French lizard in Israel in the 1960s to the chocolate-chip desert uniform of the 1991 Gulf War. If you’re after Iraq and Afghanistan after 2001, head to our Modern page.
Arab–Israeli wars
French surplus in Israel
How French lizard camouflage reached Israel in the 1960s.
1964Israel and French lizard
Official sourceThe Israel Defense Forces say that “in 1964, the French army donated surplus camouflage uniforms”. They appear in 1967 photographs, and in 1968 they became the formal uniform of several brigades, including Golani.
Some sources say Israeli paratroopers wore lizard in the 1967 Six-Day War. We have only found that on Hebrew Wikipedia, so we don’t claim it for the photograph shown here.
Source: Israel Defense Forces
Desert Storm 1990 - 1991
Desert patterns go to war
The coalition in the Gulf, and a desert pattern that didn’t suit the Gulf.
1990 – 1991Chocolate chip in the Gulf
ConfirmedThe US six-colour desert pattern, nicknamed chocolate chip, was modelled on the rocky desert of the south-west United States, with black and white spots for “pebbles and their shadows”. The Imperial War Museum says it was adopted in the early 1980s.
In the Gulf it didn’t work well: it “contrasted too much”, and the dark patches held heat.
On screen: according to IMFDB, Black Hawk Down (2001) is “one of the few films to accurately depict the transition”, showing US Rangers in Somalia in 1993 in the newer desert uniform with the old chocolate-chip helmet covers.
Sources: Wikipedia, Safariland, IMFDB
PhotographsUS desert night camouflage
The US desert night camouflage uniform. We are still checking its dates and purpose against a source we can link to, so here it is with the archive’s own caption.
PhotographsBritish and coalition forces
British desert kit and other coalition uniforms from Desert Shield, with the archives’ own captions. We are still checking the history of British desert DPM against a source we can link to.
Gallery
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Image credits
IDF paratroopers with Motta Gur overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, June 1967.: Amos Zucker / IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Modified (cropped and colour-graded) by Fat Buddha Store.
Redrawn tile (~30 x 30 cm) of the French lizard pattern.: Thimbleweed, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Modified (cropped and colour-graded) by Fat Buddha Store.
Soldiers of a Niger army unit in formation with M-14 rifles during Operation Desert Shield.: TECH. SGT. H. H. DEFFNER — public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Air Force), via Wikimedia Commons
Close-up photo of ‘chocolate chip’ BDU trousers.: Pretzelpaws (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Modified (cropped and colour-graded) by Fat Buddha Store.
Lt Gen Khalid bin Sultan arriving for ceasefire talks, with Gen Schwarzkopf behind, 3 Mar 1991.: SGT. TREJO — public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army), via Wikimedia Commons
Photo of US Desert Night Camouflage pattern (garment).: Qirille, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Modified (cropped and colour-graded) by Fat Buddha Store.
British rifleman (1st Bn Staffordshire Regiment) in a trench during live-fire training, Desert Shield, 6 Jan 1991.: XVIII Airborne Corps History Office photograph by PFC John F. Freund, DS-F-096-11 — public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Army), via Wikimedia Commons
Queen’s Dragoon Guards soldier watching a 1st Force Recon Marine fire an L7A2 GPMG, Abu Hydra Range, Desert Shield, Dec 1990.: SSGT. J.R. Ruark — public domain (PD-USGov-Military), via Wikimedia Commons
Illustrated plate of uniforms worn by US Marines in Desert Shield/Desert Storm, as of 16 Jan 1991.: English: Major Donna J. Neary, United States Marine Corps Reserve — public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Marines), via Wikimedia Commons
UK MoD photo of desert-pattern camouflage material (fabric close-up), 2004.: Photo: Graeme Main/MOD, Open Government Licence v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons Modified (cropped and colour-graded) by Fat Buddha Store.
US Army desert night camouflage uniform worn by a soldier, full-height 3/4 back view, 16 Feb 1978.: A. J. M. (US Army Natick Soldier Systems Center) — public domain (PD-USGov), via Wikimedia Commons
IDF soldiers of ‘The Red Unit’ in camouflage uniforms, 2020: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Modified (cropped and colour-graded) by Fat Buddha Store.
Last checked September 2026. Found a mistake or know something we don’t? Tell us in the shop at 81 Queen Street, Glasgow.
