British Army 1990s DPM Boonie Hat 56CM

British Army 1990s DPM Boonie Hat 56CM

Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) camouflage is a military camouflage pattern developed by the British Army. First introduced in the late 1960s, DPM became one of the most iconic and widely used camo designs in the world. It was created to replace earlier patterns like the Denison smock and featured a four-color design—typically green, brown, black, and sand—intended to break up the silhouette of a soldier in temperate woodland environments.

Over the decades, several variants of DPM were developed to suit different operational environments, including desert (Desert DPM), jungle, and urban terrains. The pattern proved highly adaptable and effective, leading to its adoption by many other nations and military forces, including the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Oman. In the UK, DPM remained in service until it was gradually phased out in the early 2010s, replaced by the Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP), which was designed to perform better across a wider range of environments.

Despite being retired by the British military, DPM remains popular among collectors, surplus gear users, and various security forces due to its proven effectiveness and strong visual identity.