US Military Planes Getting Mirror Coatings

[Yazata]

For months now, aviation watchers have been reporting seeing a variety of stealth-related military aircraft with weird mirror coatings on their wings and/or tails. These include F-35's, F-22's and the mysterious supposedly retired (but really not) F-117's. All of these aircraft seemed to be assigned to various flight test squadrons and some were flying out of those secret bases in Nevada.

Well, the Navy has released photos of a F-35C with the mysterious coatings landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of California yesterday. This is believed to be the first mirror-finish Navy F-35C seen that is assigned to an operational squadron and not to the Vx-9 Test and Evaluation squadron at the Naval Air Weapons Center at China Lake California (out in the Mojave desert). It's the first time one has been seen landing on a Carrier.

Speculation is that the coatings are intended to reduce an aircraft's infrared signature.

(US Navy photographs)

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