Ever wondered why the submarines are mostly painted black and not any other color. Because
black reflects the least amount of light and therefore camouflages it the best when it is
surfaced, partially submerged, or near the surface. Generally, most of the submarines
are painted full black. Some countries paint their submarines in two colors.
The top part of the submarine is painted black and the bottom part of the submarine
is painted orange. And also, some of the small submarines are painted green.
During World War 2 submarines were painted gray, since they spent most of their time surfaced. If
you look closely, you will see the same pattern on fish, such as tuna, such as the blue top and
white bottom because to a predator above them, the blue pattern blends with the blue ocean, but
if it is a predator below them, the white pattern blends with the white sky. The primary opponent of
a submarine is either other submarines, in which case both sides rely on sonar anyway, aircraft,
or ship from above, so they just paint the whole thing with a dark color on it such as black.
The other important point is that it is black not only because of the paint but also because of the
type of panels that are used on it. Anechoic tiles are rubber or synthetic polymer tiles
containing thousands of tiny voids, applied to the outer hulls of military ships and submarines,
as well as anechoic chambers. Their functions are: To absorb the sound waves of active sonar,
reducing and distorting the return signal, thereby reducing its effective range,
while another function is to attenuate the sounds emitted from the vessel, typically its engines,
to reduce the range at which it can be detected by passive sonar.
Obviously, the panels were made black for stealth purposes as everyone else has pointed out. On the
bottom of ship hulls, the Navies use a special epoxy-based red paint to prevent rust and limit
barnacle growth. The color is easier for divers to see and indicates to maintenance crews where the
underwater hull ends and the upper part begins. But like all things, over time, its luster fades.
Actually, Black is not the only color for submarines.
Although black or grey are the most commonly used colors to paint submarines all over the world,
there are some countries that paint their submarines in different colors for other reasons.
For instance, a North Korean submarine, it is painted in a shade of green. Similarly, certain
submarines of some other countries, such as Iran and Israel, are also painted green, as they mostly
function in clear, shallow and coastal waters. In such contexts, the green color blends in well.
Also, note that not all submarines are used for military operations.
Subs may also be used for deep-sea exploration and search and rescue missions.
In these scenarios, camouflage is not a priority, so you may see submarines of different colors.
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