Russian warplanes in ‘Sea Waves’ camouflage easier to see than ‘Aubergines’: (Ukraine Battlefield up

Every day, the Ukraine Battlefield update newsletter offers a clear look at how the war is unfolding on the ground, highlighting key developments along the frontline and the shifting dynamics of the conflict. “Aubergine” is excellent, Sea Waves weaker, and the big numerals should be scrapped. Maps of the day – Sloviansk axis, Odradne, Kostyantynivka Videos of the day – logistics near Kostyantynivka; fire at the Ryazan refinery; Magyar Birds showed new successful strikes on exotic targets; a Russ

How Russian camouflage works – and what, on the contrary, gives it away. Almost as soon as military aviation emerged, armed forces and manufacturers began developing colour schemes that would conceal aircraft as effectively as possible from the enemy, both on the ground and in the air. The aim was never to make the machines “invisible”, but either to break up their silhouette or make them blend in as much as possible with the environment in which they operated. A good example is the British air force during the Second World War. Its aircraft started the war with green-brown camouflage on their upper surfaces, which protected them from attacks from above in a period when it was assumed they would be the targets of air raids. This was the time of the Battle of Britain. When the British moved to the offensive, they changed the camouflage of their aircraft to grey-green, which was a more effective combination of colours for offensive operations. By the end of the Second World War, the Allies had achieved almost complete air superiority and, in particular, the Americans left their aircraft in bare metal, because they did not feel the need to camouflage them. This approach persisted into the 1950s and part of the 1960s, but since then all armed forces have once again switched to camouflaging their equipment. A captivating treatise on colours in the Russian air force was published on Friday morning by the Russian aviation account Fighterbomber. Its author belongs among those who, amid the propaganda, also publish useful information. This is a case worth paying attention to.

Key points

• How Russian camouflage works – and what, on the contrary, gives it away.
• Almost as soon as military aviation emerged, armed forces and manufacturers began developing colour schemes that would conceal aircraft as effectively as possible from the enemy, both on the ground…
• The aim was never to make the machines “invisible”, but either to break up their silhouette or make them blend in as much as possible with the environment in which they operated.
• A good example is the British air force during the Second World War.
• Its aircraft started the war with green-brown camouflage on their upper surfaces, which protected them from attacks from above in a period when it was assumed they would be the targets of air raids.