I was told that the "low viz" paint was a Navy requirement that went into effect in the late 1980s.
It was thought to give a tactical advantage, making the airplane harder to see.
It was a bit harder to see a low viz jet vs. the gloss paint, but only a bit.
Navy requirements also prevented us from painting an entire jet for cosmetics. Paint was for corrosion protection, and nose-to-tail paint jobs were forbidden, technically, so we would paint them in sections, as needed. Carriers didn't always have precisely the same shade of paint in stock, so you would see some pretty ugly jets once in a while. Blotchy, uneven flat grey was common.
This jet was delivered from the factory in gloss paint. We only painted the tails, and stripes, for "corrosion protection", so we were within the Navy regs...
It was paid for in 1985, so the gloss paint was in specification for the contract as written for Block 140 aircraft. Subsequent aircraft were delivered in the flat "low viz" grey.
We got it in the squadron in late 1988. It practically had that new car smell when I came to the squadron in 1989. It was fast, I went Mach 1.7 in level flight, with external tanks installed, without even trying one winter afternoon. It worked flawlessly. It was a great airplane.
It was crashed by an idiot in the summer of 1990.
Long story.
But an idiot, nonetheless...