In these days of radar, sonar, infrared tracking, night vision equipment, electronic signal detection, and all the rest why is the Navy using camouflage for their ships? Do the honestly think that someone who really wants to target it will be thrown off by the paint scheme?
In these days of radar, sonar, infrared tracking, night vision equipment, electronic signal detection, and all the rest why is the Navy using camouflage for their ships? Do the honestly think that someone who really wants to target it will be thrown off by the paint scheme?
To the contrary! Visually, it is very, very easy to see those high-contrast white-deckhouses on cargo ships many miles off through a periscope. Same from a low-flying aircraft. Light “haze grey” with NO contrasting colors - they need to paint out the black smokestacks too! - is very valuable in protecting a ship against submarine attack.
Now, whether these colors will work against subs is unknown. Without looking a through a periscope, and I doubt ANY surface or air qualified officer has EVER looked through a scope once commissioned, the targets have no idea how vulnerable they are.
What works against a periscope, works against a low-waterline pirate or torpedo/missile boar just as well.
It’s purely for show now rather than disguise. The new Littoral Combat Ships are much-maligned, so this is probably a good PR stunt to generate a bit of excitement.