Pale gray insignia

Lets use the big white stars on US tanks for an example. Those were found to draw enemy attention and fire- not a good thing in combat, so they were eventually removed from US AFVs. In the1970s and the aftermath of Vietnam, there was a LOT of professional dissection of US actions in combat including the air war. With the Cold War looming ever and ever bigger in Europe at that time and training taking on a new more realistic manner (train like you will fight), every possible tactical advantage was sought. Toned down aircraft markings were less likely to catch the eye. Schemes that did not have a differnt bottom and top color did not reveal at a moments glance which way that the aircraft was banking. Pilots helmets were toned down (although the Air Force was doing that early on in Vietnam) and even false canopies and helmet dots painted on the bottom of the aircraft opposite the real canopy. The low vis markings were also supposed to be for IR concealment- not heat seeker missile heads, but active IR viewing devices that were commonly used by the Soviet Bloc. Just like the service fatigue/utility uniforms were toned down and markings subdued, equipment went thru the same research trials for the best possible concealment schemes. So yes, Internaional conventions require the insignia to be worn, but tactical needs have made them as low profile as possible. The "look at me" insignia of peacetime tend to be a detriment in combat.

Done a bit of digging and its covered in the Hague Rules of Aerial Warfare 1923, article 3 states  "A military aircraft shall bear an external mark indicating its nation"

Cant say I'd ever read it before but at least I can get it out of my head now

Phil

I also thought there was some international convention, though don't have any idea if it was a geneva thing or something else. I think it evolved in laws of sea, and carried over into aviation.

Also, don't get the infrared thing.  The IR heat seekers are not in the thermal infrared band where one can see an image.  They are in shorter IR band (1-3 microns) that need really hot surfaces, just below visible incandescence.

I thought there was a requirement under the Geneva Convention for all military hardware to me marked in such a way that you can tell whos it is, but I could be wrong as its just a memory

Phil

The big bright insignias from the 60's-80's show up on the infared heat seekers much easier,so the toned down insignias have to do with infared not just visual

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_aircraft_insignia