The Swiss Army's multispectral camouflage for soldiers, vehicles, and horses

The use of camouflage patterns in armed forces seeks to gain an advantage over the enemy by going unnoticed in front of them.

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In modern warfare, camouflage is no longer limited to visually masking soldiers, vehicles, and fixed positions. It must also be made invisible to thermal imaging, infrared, and radar systems. Multispectral camouflage attempts to offer an integrated solution that renders military forces invisible to both the naked eye and these detection systems.

In November 2025, the Swiss Federal Office of Armaments (Armasuisse) announced contracts for multispectral camouflage systems with three companies: SSZ Camouflage Technology AG (Switzerland), Saro GmbH – Ghosthood (Germany), and Saab (Sweden).

Armasuisse has released this image (below) of three of the multispectral camouflage schemes tested (click on the image to enlarge it). In all three cases, the vehicles are MOWAG Eagle V 6x6 armored reconnaissance vehicles (the Swiss Army has acquired 100 units of this Swiss-made model, and they are currently being delivered). On the left, we see the Saab Barracuda system, in the center the Saro GmbH Ghostwood, and on the right the SSZ camouflage.

Ghostwood's camouflage (below) looks especially good. It's more disruptive than the other two, better disguising the MOWAG Eagle V's shape and thus making it harder to detect.

The contracts include "14 lots which are allocated to the most suitable supplier in each instance based on the technical requirements. The camouflage and subterfuge systems tested reduce optical, infrared and radar-based signatures (the response of an object to electromagnetic waves)."

Armasuisse justified this program as follows: "Multispectral camouflage is an effective method of achieving an optimal camouflage effect that provides protection against the latest reconnaissance equipment. Today, reconnaissance activities are no longer limited to the capabilities of the human eye – ground-based and airborne sensors, such as drones, can record visual and infrared signals in the short-, medium- and longwave ranges on the electromagnetic spectrum. The multispectral camouflage system (MSTS) also helps to protect soldiers and infrastructure against enemy reconnaissance."

Last week, Armasuisse published this video about the tests carried out with these multispectral camouflage systems, noting the following: "In the summer of 2025, armasuisse tested the MSTS (Mobile Tactical Systems) for two weeks in the Thun and Bure training areas. The aim was to examine their effectiveness under real-world conditions and evaluate their operational benefits. Previously, armasuisse's Science and Technology department had tested the systems in the laboratory. Based on these results, the project team selected suitable suppliers for testing. Together with the Operations Command, the Air Force, the Army, the Army General Staff, and the Logistics Base, experts tested the systems from a technical, operational, and logistics."

A curious detail from the video published by Armasuisse is that these camouflage patterns have also been tested on horses. The last cavalry units of the Swiss Army were disbanded in 1972. However, the Swiss military still uses horses for logistical and other tasks, mainly in high mountain terrain, where wheeled vehicles are impractical due to the lack of roads.

On February 13, the 13th Military Veterinary Unit of the Swiss Army published a series of images of these tests with horses, in which we see the camouflage nets used on both riders and mounts.

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Images: Armasuisse / Vet u A Tiere Abt 13.