<P> First unveiled in June 2004 , it is the successor to the Battle Dress Uniform ( BDU ) and Desert Camouflage Uniform ( DCU ) worn from the 1980s and 1990s through the early 2000s , respectively . The ACU and its component materials are manufactured by the existing industrial infrastructure which produced the now - obsolete BDU . Official military - grade ACUs are made of 50 % nylon and 50 % cotton . All other blends are not official issue . </P>
<P> First unveiled in June 2004 , it is the successor to the Battle Dress Uniform ( BDU ) and Desert Camouflage Uniform ( DCU ) worn from the 1980s and 1990s through the early 2000s , respectively . The ACU and its component materials are manufactured by the existing industrial infrastructure which produced the now - obsolete BDU . Official military - grade ACUs are made of 50 % nylon and 50 % cotton . All other blends are not official issue . </P>
when did the army change from bdu to acu
when did the army change from bdu to acu
June 2004
June 2004