Are these paint schemes being done by the squadrons themselves? I haven't seen any Marine units doing them, and I'm wondering where the resources are coming from to do these. No matter how cool it looks, I can't see putting an airframes shop out of business for a couple of weeks just to but a bitchin' scheme on one of our planes. Some pinstripes, maybe, but doing a digital design has to take some serious man hours.
Even if the paint schemes were contracted, I don't see us going this route simply because it would take birds out of the fight. Sure, most squadrons do the "Double Nuts"-type paint jobs, but I don't see the CO of a Marine squadron giving up one of his aircraft for any length of time simply for a makeover. Hell, phases (and post-phase FCFs!) keep birds out of the fight long enough.
I can see HMM Phrogdriver standing before the skipper someday: "Well, Sir, I understand that Ops wanted to get Capt Benotz his DivLead X last night, but we've got two birds in phase, two others are about to be dropped into phase and don't have the hours on them, four are down from when your WTIs broke 'em the night before, and one went down in the chocks when we started her up last night." "Hey, Phrog, that's 9 birds. We still have three more, right? That means we should've gotten the flight out!" "Well, Sir, we have three more birds, but one of 'em has been at the paint shop all week getting a super-sweet digi camouflage Centennial design. It should be back in about a week or so, then we've got to do some specials on it."
(Then there's VMM Phrogdriver: "Well, Sir, I understand that we wanted to get Capt Benotz his DivLead X last night, but we ain't got no up aircraft!")
