Defence Camouflage Glossary

Last updated: 2026-06-17

MSCN — Multi-Spectral Camouflage Net

A camouflage net engineered to conceal targets across several electromagnetic bands at once — ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, short-wave and thermal infrared — with optional radar management, unlike single-band visual nets. Source: Product category; test methods per MIL-PRF-53134 / NATO STANAG, where applicable.

Jungle & Plain Camouflage

Camouflage matched to India’s jungle and plain (eastern and central) terrain class — green-spectrum disruptive patterns for dense foliage and open ground, IRR-matched to vegetation. Served by reversible multi-spectral nets such as the CAMPRO® 2D Reversible MSCN. Source: Indian Army terrain classification; product category.

Desert & Semi-Desert Camouflage

Camouflage matched to the desert and semi-desert terrain class — the Thar and western theatres — in sand, tan and scrub palettes that hold across daytime glare and near-infrared. Served by the CAMPRO® 2D Reversible MSCN. Source: Indian Army terrain classification; product category.

Snow & Barren-Mountain (High-Altitude) Camouflage

Camouflage matched to the snow and barren high-altitude terrain class — Ladakh, Siachen and glaciated regions — in snow-white and rock or scree palettes; reversible nets flip between winter white and terrain on one net. Served by the CAMPRO® 2D Reversible MSCN. Source: Indian Army terrain classification; product category.

SCN — Synthetic Camouflage Net

A visual-band (and usually near-infrared) net made of woven or knitted synthetic fabric; lighter and lower-cost than multi-spectral types, used where the threat is primarily visual. Source: Product category.

MSCGS — Multi-Spectral Camouflage Ghillie System

A wearable personal-concealment suit that reduces a sniper or observer's signature across multiple spectral bands. Source: Product category.

RAM — Radar-Absorbing Material

A material engineered to absorb incident radar energy rather than reflect it, lowering an object's radar cross-section. See: CAMPRO® Anti-Radar Paint. Source: Radar / electronic-warfare term.

RCS — Radar Cross-Section

A measure of how detectable an object is to radar — the effective area that scatters radar energy back to the receiver. Lower RCS means harder to detect. Source: Radar engineering term.

SAR — Synthetic Aperture Radar

An imaging radar that uses sensor motion to build high-resolution images, widely used for airborne and satellite reconnaissance in all weather, day or night. See: anti-drone camouflage suite. Source: Remote-sensing term.

S21 / DoS — Forward Transmission (S21) / Degree of Shielding

An S-parameter that measures how much electromagnetic signal passes through a material; used to quantify a net's radar transparency or attenuation. Source: RF measurement (scattering parameters).

IRR — Infrared Reflectance

The fraction of incident infrared radiation a surface reflects rather than absorbs. Controlled IRR lets camouflage match natural backgrounds under night-vision and NIR sensors. Source: MIL-PRF-53134.

NIR — Near-Infrared

The roughly 700–1400 nm band just beyond visible light, seen by night-vision devices and many cameras. Vegetation reflects strongly here (the 'wood effect'), so camouflage must mimic it. Source: Spectral band.

NIR-Compliant

A NIR-compliant material or coating meets the near-infrared reflectance requirements of MIL-PRF-53134 or an applicable NATO STANAG — matching the IRR signature of natural vegetation so the surface remains concealed under night-vision devices and NIR-capable sensors. See: CAMPRO® CAM-IRR NIR-Reflective Paint. Source: MIL-PRF-53134 / NATO STANAG.

SWIR — Short-Wave Infrared

The roughly 1.4–3 µm band used by advanced imagers to see through haze and foliage. Source: Spectral band.

TIR — Thermal (Long-Wave) Infrared

The roughly 8–14 µm band of emitted heat, detected by thermal imagers; managed by emissivity and temperature control rather than colour. Source: Spectral band.

Emissivity

The ratio of thermal radiation emitted by a surface to that of a perfect blackbody at the same temperature (scale 0–1). High emissivity means a surface radiates heat strongly and appears bright to a thermal imager; low or matched emissivity reduces the apparent thermal signature. Camouflage coatings and fabrics control emissivity to blend assets into the thermal background. See: anti-thermal & IR camouflage guide. Source: Thermodynamics / thermal engineering.

Thermal Signature

The pattern of infrared heat emission that makes an object distinguishable from its background to a thermal imager. Thermal signature is shaped by surface temperature, emissivity, geometry, and ambient conditions; signature management aims to reduce or disguise this pattern to below the imager's discrimination threshold. See: CAMPRO® Anti-Thermal Paint. Source: Signature-management concept.

Multispectral

A multispectral system spans several non-contiguous electromagnetic bands simultaneously (for example visible + NIR + SWIR + TIR + radar) to defeat multiple sensor types at once. See: anti-drone camouflage suite. Source: Signature-management concept.

Anti-Thermal Camouflage

A concealment approach that manages an asset's thermal signature — the infrared heat it emits or reflects — to reduce detectability by thermal imagers and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) systems. Achieved through low-emissivity coatings, thermal-insulating layers, and multi-spectral camouflage nets with thermal-band management. See: anti-thermal & IR camouflage guide. Source: Signature-management concept.

Counter-UAS

Measures taken to detect, track, disrupt, or defeat unmanned aerial systems (drones). Counter-UAS includes active methods (jamming, kinetic, directed energy) and passive methods (signature management, camouflage, concealment). Passive counter-UAS — reducing an asset's visual, infrared, and radar observables — is the domain of multi-spectral concealment systems and does not require active intervention. See: anti-drone camouflage suite. Source: Defence operations concept.

CARC — Chemical-Agent-Resistant Coating

A military paint that resists absorption of chemical agents and can be decontaminated after exposure; in US service governed by MIL-PRF-53134. Source: MIL-PRF-53134.

MIL-PRF-53134

A US Department of Defense performance specification for chemical-agent-resistant, infrared-reflective coatings, covering visible and NIR reflectance, durability and decontaminability. Source: US DoD.

NATO STANAG

A NATO Standardization Agreement adopted across member states; products can be built to applicable NATO STANAG specifications where a procurement contract requires it. Source: NATO.

NABL

India's National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, which accredits test labs to ISO/IEC 17025 — internationally recognised through ILAC for defence test verification. Source: NABL / ISO-IEC 17025.

ULCANS — Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Net System

An international procurement category for large-area, lightweight multi-spectral camouflage nets; the de-facto global benchmark term. Source: Defence procurement term.

SCOMET

India's Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies export-control list. Defence camouflage falls under Category 6 (Munitions). Source: DGFT / FTDR Act 1992.

FTDR Act 1992

India's Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act; Section 11 prohibits export of controlled items without authorisation. Source: Government of India.

DGFT — Directorate General of Foreign Trade

The Indian authority that issues the Importer-Exporter Code and administers the SCOMET list and Foreign Trade Policy. Source: Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

EUC — End-User Certificate

A destination-government attestation that imported defence goods will not be diverted or re-exported without authorisation; required for defence-export clearance. Source: Export-control practice (Wassenaar).

IDDM — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured

The highest-priority acquisition category under India's Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, favouring indigenous design and content. Source: DAP 2020.

NSN — NATO Stock Number

A 13-digit codification identifier for an item catalogued in the NATO supply system. Source: NATO Codification System.

EM-Transparent — Electromagnetic-Transparent Camouflage Net

A multi-spectral camouflage net engineered to let radar and radio-frequency signals pass through (low insertion loss) so friendly radar and communications keep working, while still concealing the asset in the visible, infrared and thermal bands. Source: Industry / standard terminology.

IRCP — Infrared Reflective Camouflage Paint

A near-infrared-reflective military coating that matches a surface's IR signature to natural backgrounds, reducing visibility under night-vision and NIR sensors; governed in US service by MIL-PRF-53134. Source: Industry / standard terminology.

SCN-FR — Fire-Retardant Synthetic Camouflage Net

A synthetic camouflage net (SCN) built to a fire-retardant specification for use where flame resistance is required. Source: Industry / standard terminology.

Garnishing / Pre-Garnished Net

Garnishing is the cut scrim/foliage pattern attached to a camouflage net's base mesh; a pre-garnished (ready-garnished) net is supplied with garnishing already attached, ready to deploy. Source: Industry / standard terminology.

Parasol Camouflage Net

An overhead, umbrella-/parasol-style camouflage net rigged above a vehicle, weapon or position to defeat aerial and overhead (including drone) observation. Source: Industry / standard terminology.

Morcha Net

Indian-Army vernacular for a camouflage net used to conceal a morcha — a bunker, trench, gun pit or defensive position; typically a synthetic camouflage net (SCN). Source: Industry / standard terminology.

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