Throughout the history of aerial warfare camouflage has been an integral part of the fight. From WW I to the present air commanders have conceived ways to make their aircraft less visible.

A French SPAD XVI from World War I shows its ground camouflage on the top surfaces and a neutral gray on the bottom.

In recent years new advanced camo schemes have started appearing on fighter jets. One of the more intriguing is the Splinter camouflage. The rationale behind this camo is that it confuses an observer as to the distance of the aircraft, depth deception. It can also confuse the observer as to the direction the aircraft is moving.

Here is an example. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet.

A German Luftwaffe Tornado fighter.

Two more U.S. navy examples.

A Ukrainian SU-27 Flanker with splinter camo.

And innovations in aircraft camouflage continue. New digital schemes are becoming more prevalent, including this fractal camo on a Jordanian F-16J. m