# Why the red/white stripes color scheme of the Russian sub? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2005, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-red-white-stripes-color-scheme-of-the-russian-sub/315984 "2005-08-07T12:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-red-white-stripes-color-scheme-of-the-russian-sub/315984/1 "2005-08-07T12:01:44Z")
Does this help a great deal in visibility? Why would a military sub want to be visible if so? Please, fight my ignorance! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-red-white-stripes-color-scheme-of-the-russian-sub/315984/2 "2005-08-07T12:06:17Z")
[SAI](http://apnews1.iwon.com/image/20050806/RUSSIA_NAVY_ACCIDENT.sff_MOSB811_20050806152527.html?date=20050807&docid=D8BQV02O1) \* \*Sorry Assed Illustration ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-red-white-stripes-color-scheme-of-the-russian-sub/315984/3 "2005-08-07T13:41:12Z")
[From here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4128614.stm) > [@](#): > > The Russians said the Priz submersible - itself a rescue vehicle - was on a training exercise when it became trapped It’s common for military training, research or rescue kit to come in “hi vis” paint (tho’ RAF trainers seem to be in a fetching all-black scheme at the moment) [In fact the wee beasty that cut them free was bright yellow itself](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4750089.stm) My WAG is that anything operating in murky waters needs a pretty garish paint scheme to stand out visually hence the broad stripes. The red stripes puzzle me a bit, IIRC red light doesn’t penetrate seawater very well (maybe I don’t RC on that) ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-red-white-stripes-color-scheme-of-the-russian-sub/315984/4 "2005-08-07T17:00:35Z")
> [@Capt B. Phart](#): > > My WAG is that anything operating in murky waters needs a pretty garish paint scheme to stand out visually hence the broad stripes. > The red stripes puzzle me a bit, IIRC red light doesn’t penetrate seawater very well (maybe I don’t RC on that) True that red light penetrates water poorly, but I’d guess the color scheme is more useful for visibility at the surface rather than at depth. Imagine the rescue sub surfaces near its tender, but in the middle of a squall or fog bank. Highly visible colors will be more useful then than they would be at 600 ft. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-red-white-stripes-color-scheme-of-the-russian-sub/315984/5 "2005-08-08T02:43:30Z")
> [@Capt B. Phart](#): > > It’s common for military training, research or rescue kit to come in “hi vis” paint (tho’ RAF trainers seem to be in a fetching all-black scheme at the moment) The RAF did a study of paint schemes a few years ago, and found that, much to their surprise, overall gloss black was the most likely to be noticed in the air. Hence the paint job on the current trainer fleet. So far, no other air force has followed suit, which may mean that the extra visibility is related to normal English weather conditions that may not apply elsewhere. (Local weather has always played a part in airplane camouflage, and, for example, the RAF WW2 underside colours for fighters changed from a pale blue-green to light grey when the normal area of operation changed from over England to over the Continent.)