Deadly Chrome: The Insane New Look of Navy's F-35C Lightning

in the vast expanse of the ocean aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln a Navy f-35c lightning shines unusually Under the Sun its Chrome or mirrorlike coating catches the eye sparking a whirl of questions what is the purpose of the Striking finish no it's not extraterrestrial technology but something equally intriguing we've seen similar codings on the F35 belonging to the vx9 vampires a squadron that's known for testing but this lightning belongs to vfa 125 the rough Raiders a fleet replenishment Squadron renowned for the Relentless operational Pace on carriers this suggests a new phase transitioning these experimental Coatings from test beds to durable operational realities could this be the dawn of a new era for the lightning Fleet and stealth where Sleek Aesthetics meet rugged carrier demands engage that like And subscribe button and let's take a look at the Lightning's counterintuitive mirror skin that could be the latest in stealth technology pilot fog.com stealth is all about being unseen and staying hidden like an ambush Predator you won't know it's there until it's too late the F-22 Raptor F35 lightning and even the fabled F-117 Nighthawk all make use of low observable technology to do this in the case of the Nighthawk Saddam Hussein's Armed Forces found out firsthand what it was like to be taken by surprise during the first Gulf War the Nighthawk is covered in radar absorbing materials or Ram Coatings and has a shape that does not allow radar waves to return to the radar these Coatings were also essentially a black color and since the F-117 flew its missions primarily at night it was termed the Nighthawk the next breakthrough came with the F-22 Raptor which is a day or night stealth aircraft the next step in that Evolution was of course the F35 lightning which had improved methods for applying and keeping precious Ram coatings on its skin these stealth aircraft have all been configured to be low observable by radar and low visibility but now it appears things have changed recently all three aircraft have been spotted with chrome or mirrorlike Coatings seeming to go against everything we've learned about stealth technology the reason for this could be in the advancements made by passive systems known as infrared search and track or irst these systems such as those found on the Russian su27 flanker do not rely on radar waves to detect and track an aircraft but rather small telescopes and infrared cameras that visually can see a target with irst if you can see them you can engage it Warfare is an eternal chess game a game of cat and mouse of move and counter move and while stealth is still highly effective these advancements in irst systems are presenting more of a threat to fifth generation aircraft what we are seeing in these new mirror light codings could very well be a counter to irst a way for them to visually blend into their surroundings making them virtually invisible getting back to sci-fi alien technology for a second this is somewhat similar to how a fictional alien Predator hunted in plain sight in a movie made famous by the line get to the chopper the fact that we are seeing these mirror codings on an F35 which is performing takeoffs and landings on a carrier tells us that we we've entered the next stage in testing this new technology carrier operations at C expose aircraft to some of the most unforgiving environments especially corrosive salt water while a fleet replenishment Squadron like vfa 125 is not a Frontline Squadron it is used extensively aboard carriers and is the next best thing to a forward deployed Squadron basically we can think of this as an in between step to getting those Chrome or mirror light coatings onto operational squadrons then there's the end testing the Navy is working on their own version of The Next Generation air dominance or NAD fighter which they have termed faxx these f35s that are being tested with newer Coatings are most certainly testing Technologies for the faxx overall these highly reflective Skins are part of a way to counter those IRS systems and fall under the umbrella of what we Now call Spectral Warfare remember that since irst systems are passive they are basically immune to traditional radar jamming methods used in electronic warfare also an irst system that detects an aircraft will not alert the target aircraft you can now see why in the modern battle space that is full of stealthy Fighters and bombers spectral Warfare becomes such a big deal when you think about it it's actually a fascinating Twist of aviation history we find ourselves revisiting an old practice with A New Perspective these super Advanced fifth and sixth generation fighter jets adorned with chromik surfaces are in a way a nod to an Era long past during World War II many Allied aircraft were left in their raw metallic finishes not just for practicality but also as a bold statement of presence in the skies this concept traces even further back to World War I where the famous Flying Circus Squadron led by the legendary Red Baron famously painted their aircraft in Vivid eye-catching colors to taunt and challenge their adversaries to Aerial duels this historical concept adds depth to our understanding of Modern Warfare strategies we've transitioned from the deliberate visibility of bright colors and reflective surfaces once used to provoke and engage in direct combat to employing mirrorlike Coatings for exactly the opposite reason to remain unseen for as long as possible this evolution in military aircraft Aesthetics reflects really a broader shift in aerial combat philosophy where once the goal was to be seen and to confront the enemy headon today's approach prioritizes stealth and surprise just like an ambush Predator these mirrorlike coatings on contemporary jets are not just about Aesthetics they are a strategic Choice enhancing an aircraft's ability to blend into its environment reducing detection by enemy radar and irst systems which gives them a critical advantage in Modern Warfare so at the end of the day what might seem like a simple design choice is in fact a sophisticated blend of History technology and strategy encapsulating the ever evolving nature of military Aviation getting back to the Navy's faxx program I recently made a video using this concept model which features canards many of you commented that the use of canards was not a good design choice and would not be featured in the final design maybe so you can check out the video here and there will also be a link in the description below let me know what you think regarding the Air Force's end Gad I just finished a video with a model based on Loy design you can also check out that video as well the Chrome Coatings that are being tested on the F35 lightning the F22 Raptor and the f-17 Nighthawk are an indication that we will see these on Sixth Generation aircraft even the B21 Raider and yes I've got a video on that one as well all these animations are produced by myself and are made possible by my amazing patrons and channel members if you'd like to directly help me keep creating content like this then kindly consider joining I'll leave links in the description below what do you think how soon will we see these Chrome or mirror leg codings on f-35s will they be applied to f-22s and could we see them on older generation aircraft like f16s or even f-15s let me know in the comments below thanks for watching and now you know pilot fog.com

Channel: PilotPhotog

Views: 483,385

Keywords: aviation, flying, photography, aviator, pilot, fly, airplane, plane, planes, pilotphotog, avgeek, f-35 lightning ii, Lockheed martin, FAXX, 5th generation, 6th generation, chrome, mirror, stealth, active camo, IRST, passive, Infrared search and track, F-22 Raptor, f-117 nighthawk, NGAD, technology demonstrator, f-35c carrier landing, weekly dose of aviation, aviation enthusiast, aviation geek, avgeeks, red baron, flying circus, predator movie

Id: M7eIBzXd2mc

Length: 9min 8sec (548 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 15 2023