The Russian dry cargo ship MECHTA S from the so-called Russian shadow fleet was spotted in a Turkish port with unusual camouflage resembling the camouflage schemes used on ships during World War I. Defense Express writes about this, reports UNN.
Details
The Project 488 vessel was painted with chaotic lines and shapes in various colors. More than 100 years ago, similar "dazzle" camouflage was used to make it more difficult for the enemy to determine the direction of movement and the distance to a ship.
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This approach was primarily intended to deceive observers and gunners who needed to correctly determine the parameters of a moving target. However, against modern drones, this advantage has virtually disappeared.
Why camouflage will not help against drones
As Defense Express notes, a drone operator can bring the aircraft closer to the vessel and adjust its movement without needing to accurately determine the target's direction and speed from a great distance.
In addition, modern drones and unmanned boats can use thermal imaging cameras. They do not distinguish the colors of this camouflage but record the thermal signatures of objects.
Therefore, an operator receiving an image from a thermal imager essentially does not see the vessel's complex paint scheme. Camouflage may make visual identification somewhat more difficult, but it does not conceal the vessel itself from modern surveillance systems.
Similar paint schemes on Russian vessels have been recorded since at least 2023. According to the publication, this camouflage also began to be used on certain warships and trucks amid regular attacks by Ukrainian drones.