The Real Reason Why F-35 Operators Can’t Restore Their Own Jets’ Stealth Alone

While the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has always been a multinational program, the 19 international allies that fall under foreign military sales do not quite have all the same privileges as the United States. Even the United Kingdom, which is the only Tier One partner in the entire program, cannot perform maintenance on heavy radar-absorbing material due to the complexity of the technology, proprietary rights, and weapons export laws. Unlike earlier stealth aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II does not have a simple coating of RAM paint on top of its skin. Instead, the actual radar-deflecting qualities are ‘baked…