The U.S. Air Force revealed an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighter in a new camouflage scheme that will be familiar to Russian plane watchers: a digital camo scheme that resembles the one painted on the new Su-57 stealth fighter. The two-tone grey paint job is pixelated in a similar manner to the latest Russian fighter plane.
The fighter, an F-16 belonging to the 64th Aggressor Squadron and assigned to Nellis Air Force base, was painted in the “Ghost” camouflage pattern. The design was chosen by a Facebook poll conducted by Brigadier General Robert Novotny, commander of the 57th Wing. At Nellis, a paint crew proceeded to “mask, sand, wash, prime, paint and apply stencils,” completing the process in just under one month.
The Ghost pattern consists of both a blue-gray and light gray, with the borders between the two colors pixelated for a striking effect. The pattern was first observed on the Russian Aerospace Forces’ new Sukhoi Su-57 fighter, Russia’s first fifth-generation fighter. The 64th Aggressor Squadron’s mission is to emulate Russian aircraft and flying tactics, teaching U.S. Air Force pilots how to properly react and counter their moves. Giving an “aggressor” aircraft meant to emulate Russian fighters adds a level of realism to training.
But the similarities between an F-16 and Su-57 pretty much stop at the paint job. The F-16 is a single engine fighter jet first developed in the 1970s and makes up the bulk of U.S. tactical aviation today. The F-16 is a capable aircraft but non-stealthy and will eventually be replaced by the F-35A.
The Su-57, on the other hand, is a large, twin-engine heavy fighter designed with stealth in mind. The Su-57 was first sighted in 2010, but has since faced a troubled production. However, earlier this month, the Russian government increased how many planes it would buy from 16 to 76 by 2028. So this plane will likely remain a fixture of the Russian armed forces for the foreseeable future.
Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he's generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News, and others. He lives in San Francisco.
