Aircraft camouflage
Aircraft camouflage is the use of camouflage, typically in the form of light and color patterns, applied to military aircraft to make them more difficult to see on the ground, in the air, or to make their speed, distance or attitude harder to determine. Military camouflage is highly dependent upon environmental conditions and is primarily effective against human observers, though some electronic visual acquisition systems can also be confused. It does not hinder radar location or heat-seeking electronics although the paints used may contain substances that can.
Camouflage colours and patterns are subject to considerable experimentation and theorizing, and most countries have explicit specifications as to their application that are sufficiently unique to make it possible to determine the intended operator in many cases even when no national insignia is visible. The colours and patterns have changed over time, both as new theories were tried, and as operational requirements changed. During and after World War II, the Yehudi lights project explored counter-illumination camouflage using lamps to increase the brightness of the aircraft to match the background. Recent experiments have looked at the use of light-emitting active camouflage systems which allow the colours and patterns to be changed to match the background.
