The US military's F-35C carrier-based aircraft crash was "foreseen": rusted and comparable to being pulled out of a "sewage pit". On July 30, 2025, local time, one of the US Navy's F-35C carrier-based aircraft crashed near the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, California. In fact, there had been "warnings" for the US military's F-35C carrier-based aircraft: just a few days earlier, the world was laughing at the US Navy's F-35C carrier-based aircraft, which were covered with rust, as if they had come out of a "sewage pit." The cause of the rust is the stealth coating on the F-35C carrier-based aircraft. Compared to the F-35A fighter, due to exposure to saltwater, high humidity, jet blast, and the operational pressure of the aircraft carrier, the stealth coating on the F-35C carrier-based aircraft degrades more frequently in the marine environment, thus accelerating erosion. Wear or degradation of the radar-absorbing material coating on the F-35C carrier-based aircraft reduces radar wave absorption and increases the radar cross-section, thereby impairing its stealth capabilities. The rusty appearance may indicate major problems with the maintenance and repair of the US military's F-35C carrier-based aircraft.
The US military does not regularly maintain and protect the stealth coating of the F-35C carrier-based aircraft. According to the US military's explanation, in the cramped aircraft hangar of the aircraft carrier, the F-35B and F-35C carrier-based aircraft have no opportunity to be maintained and repaired every day, and can only watch the stealth coating of the F-35C carrier-based aircraft fall off. The stealth effect of the rusted F-35C carrier-based aircraft will be significantly affected. It is reported that an American aerospace materials research engineer pointed out: "The rust on the US military's F-35C carrier-based aircraft is not just a simple maintenance issue, but a fundamental design defect in the stealth coating mechanism." "The ferrite radar-absorbing material used by the F-35C undergoes oxidation and rusting in high temperature, high humidity, and high salt environments, while China's J-20's metamaterial technology avoids this problem."
The US military's explanation is "coating discoloration" and emphasizes that there is no performance degradation, but in fact it is rust, just a more polite way of saying oxidation reaction. The ferrite radar-absorbing material in the coating of the US military's F-35C carrier-based aircraft can effectively absorb radar waves, but reveals a fatal weakness in the marine environment. Salt mist, high temperature, and high humidity trigger oxidation reactions of the iron material in the coating, forming rust. No wonder, regional weapons forces such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen can threaten the F-35C carrier-based aircraft, almost bringing down the US Navy's F-35C carrier-based aircraft. Obviously, the stealth performance and maintenance support of the US military's F-35 fighter jets have encountered major problems, not only leading to a decline in combat capability, but also resulting in a plane crash incident.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839135699996683/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.