Textiles in combat camouflage

The Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center (ATMC), run by the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Fall River, Mass., has signed a three-year agreement to work with the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Research Center to develop textiles for use in combat camouflage. The collaboration will involve development of high-speed digital printing and other technologies to create specialized camouflage materials, including fabrics invisible to infrared sensors. The announcement followed a roundtable discussion involving local textile businesses, which have been struggling with raw material shortages and a waning emphasis on manufacturing jobs. The ATMC and Army project could enable “old-fashioned Massachusetts industries” to return to the cutting edge.