The NVA decided to adopt a new camouflage pattern in order to address problems with East German forces appearing too similar to those of the Soviet Army.

The practical effectiveness of Strichtarn is borderline at best, when compared against British Disruptive Pattern Material or US military's M81 BDU in the same environment.

The new uniform patterns were issued to the NVA during the late 1960s, and were later supplied in large numbers to communist movements throughout Africa.

East Germany also supplied Strichtarn in large amounts to communist guerrilla movements throughout Africa, where it was known as "rice fleck" camouflage.

[citation needed] Strichtarn was designed with broken vertical red-brown lines on a grey-green field, which was also known as the raindrop pattern.