What technique involves disguising military targets with materials to blend into their background?

Camouflage is the technique that specifically focuses on disguising military targets by using materials and colors that allow them to blend into their surroundings. This method leverages natural elements in the environment, such as foliage, terrain, and weather patterns, to make military assets less detectable by enemy forces. Through the use of certain patterns, textures, and colors, camouflage effectively disrupts the outline and shape of the objects, providing vital concealment from aerial and ground observation.

The practice of camouflage is essential for operational security and survivability on the battlefield. It is used in various contexts, from individual soldiers wearing specific uniforms designed for different environments to vehicles and equipment being painted or covered to reduce their visibility.

In comparison, while concealment is a broader term that can refer to hiding an object without necessarily blending it into the environment, and deception involves tricking the enemy with misleading information or actions (such as fake targets), camouflage specifically refers to the art of blending the object with the environment itself. Disguise might suggest changing an object's appearance to mislead observers but does not inherently involve the blending in with the surroundings in the same manner as camouflage does.