US aircraft will be painted the same color as Russian Su-57 fighter jets for exercises

General Robert Novotny, commander of the US Air Force's 57th Fighter Wing, announced last week that he would use the digital camouflage pattern of Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter when repainting an F-16C fighter in his fleet. The decision was made after a social media poll organized by the unit.Aviationistreport

"The repainting process will take a long time and is expected to be completed by mid-year. The F-16C will be the highlight of the air show at Nellis base in November 2019," General Novotny added.

The digital camouflage pattern of white and gray has been applied by Russia on the Su-57 stealth fighter since last year. Mark Episkopos, a research assistant at the US Center for the National Interest (CNI), said that the combination of the prominent dark paint on the inside and the cloudy gray paint on the outside can create the illusion of a smaller target than it actually is.

The pixelated pattern between the two paint colors also makes it much more difficult to determine the shape and size of the Su-57 fighter from a distance. This can make it difficult for enemy pilots to track or even lose sight of the Su-57 in close combat.

The US currently has two F-16 fighter units that specialize in playing the role of aggressors, including the 18th and 64th Squadrons. Their mission is to help pilots identify opponents in close-range air combat, as well as simulate the combat environment as realistically as possible. The planes of these two units are painted, insignia and equipped like potential US opponents such as Russia and China.