Scorpion W2

The Scorpion W2 is the United States Army and United States Air Force military camouflage pattern and will be called the Army Combat Uniform. In May 2014, it was unofficially announced that the Scorpion W2 pattern would replace the unpopular Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP).

Background and selection process.
The Army came to the conclusion that the UCP did not meet their camouflage requirements during the War in Afghanistan's multiple environments and an improved uniform was needed to provide concealment in all terrains.

In 2010, the United States Army next-generation camouflage pattern program considered twenty-two entrants. The Army eliminated unwanted patterns down to four finalists and the Scorpion W2 was not among them. The finalists in the Army's Phase IV camouflage testing were: (i) Crye Precision; (ii) ADS Inc. & Hyperstealth Inc.; (iii) Brookwood Companies Inc.; and (iv) Kryptek Inc..

In 2014, the Defense Authorization Act directed uniform spending be contained with the adoption of a camouflage utility uniform or family of uniforms across all services. The Army was forced to consider existing camouflage patterns of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, in particular the woodland and desert patterns.

Allegedly, the Army's first pattern choice was the MultiCam pattern developed by Crye Precision, but due to "printing fees" procurement discussions broke down. Crye Precision developed the original Scorpion pattern under a government contract in 2002; the pattern was revised by the United States Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in 2009 and renamed the Scorpion W2. The Army owns the licensing rights for Scorpion W2, which lowered the overall cost of the program.

Camouflage patterns
The military intends to produce the Scorpion W2 in several unique terrain and environment colour schemes, including but not limited to: arid, transitional semi-wooded and heavily wooded terrain.