It seems that the U.S Navy and U.S Air Force was competing with each other in painting Fighter jets in Russian Su-57-Like “Ghost” color Scheme
On May 16, 2019, a Photo taken by an unknown amateur aviation photographer in the U.S. emerged on Facebook of new U.S. Navy F/A-18D Hornet two-seat aggressor aircraft painted in a unique pixelated aggressor color scheme that mimics Russia’s new, advanced Sukhoi Su-57 fighter. The photos were initially posted privately by the Facebook user who took them. From there, the Russian social media outlet LiveJournal found them, likely in a Facebook group where they may also have been shared by the original photographer.
The aircraft shown in the photos is a U.S. Navy F/A-18D “Red 47” belonging to Fighter Squadron Composite Twelve (VFC-12), the “Fighting Omars” at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is a relatively new paint scheme in the unit that normally operates aircraft in liveries inspired by the Russian aircraft. The amateur photographer’s photos first appeared on Thursday, May 16, 2019. They were all over Russian media in less than 24 hours.
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Today Nellis Air Force Base has released footage of F-16C Fighting Falcons fighter aircraft from the Aggressor Squadron in a new paint scheme adapted from a Russia’s upcoming fifth-generation stealth fighter.
“A new adversary has arrived. The GHOST is here! Be afraid!”, Nellis Air Force Base announced on its Facebook account.
The aircraft shown in the photos is a F-16C belonging to the 64th Aggressor Squadron based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas
The Aggressors Squadrons F-16 liveries replicate the paint schemes, markings, and insignias of Su-57 fighter jet of Russian Air Forces.
The color design, inspired by the Russian Su-57 allows pilots in training who come within visual range of these adversary jets get the same sight they would see if they were engaging an actual threat.
It appears that the Navy actually beat the Airforce in the competition
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