The more than 1,000 recruits from the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Wednesday lined up in the first public outing of the pixellated uniforms, more than three months after it was first unveiled.

They were released on leave from their Pulau Tekong camp for the Christmas break.

The pixellated uniform will be phased in over the next three years, with recruits, active servicemen and some national servicemen (NSmen) already receiving their new uniforms.

By 2011, all NSmen will be wearing the new style. There are about 300,000 active and reservist personnel in Singapore.

The new-look combat fatigues, commonly known as the No. 4, bear tiny pixels that create a 'quivering effect' on the eye.

This will in turn make it harder for a soldier to be spotted at distances of less than 50m. Besides the pixel patterns, the uniform comes in new shades.