The American fifth-generation fighter F-22 Raptor was spotted with a "mirror" coating. The Drive drew attention to the pictures posted on Instagram by aviation photographer Santos Caceres.
The plane with a reflective coating was flying over Nellis Air Base in Nevada.
The publication suggests that in this way, the US fighter is testing promising infrared search and tracking technologies, as well as laser weapons.
The Drive recalls that the United States has previously tested a similar reflective coating on other aircraft. The use of the F-22 Raptor for such purposes was explained in the publication by its ability to fly at high altitude.
In October, The Drive, referring to the US Air Force, reported that the F-22 Raptor crashed in May 2020 in Florida due to "improper" washing, which affected the operation of sensors responsible for controlling the fighter. It is noted that before the accident, several warnings appeared on the pilot's instrument panel that did not correspond to the real behavior of the aircraft.
In September, the largest American military-industrial corporation Lockheed Martin announced that 700 fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters of all variants were delivered to customers.
Ivan Potapov
