Soldiers of New Zealand army with new Multi-Terrain Camouflage combat uniforms 2106132.

Captain Ian Leabourne, one of the project managers involved in the introduction of the MCUs, said there were many benefits to the new uniforms. “We have traditionally had our two patterns of uniform, one for the jungle and one for the desert. However, with the operational environments we face today, we can be operating in a variety of terrains within one area. We needed something which would do the job in whatever environment we deploy to. This uniform, with its unique NZ Defence Force pattern, solves this issue."

The uniforms include knee and elbow pads and there is also a flame resistant variant for soldiers to wear while on operations. The layered system sees the inclusion of wet and cold weather clothing layers which are designed to fit underneath and over top of the MCUs.