How the U.S. Air Force’s Most Feared Stealth Fighter Jet Was Built Inside Restricted Factory

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Fluctus channel. Since the final years of the Cold War, stealth has remained a critical factor in the development of modern aircraft. It first emerged with the F-117 and continued with advanced fighters like the F-22 Raptor. Entering service in 2005, the Raptor is a twin-engine stealth tactical fighter built for a wide range of missions, including air dominance, precision strikes and electronic warfare. Even with its powerful arsenal and top speed of Mach 2.25, the Raptor's greatest strength lies in its stealth, allowing it to slip past radar and neutralize targets with minimal chance of detection. For the F-22, stealth comes from a combination of its overall design and deliberate efforts to minimize radar cross-section. Yet its biggest advantage is a special coating made of radar-absorbing materials, or RAMs. Before application, the aircraft's exterior must be carefully cleaned to ensure proper bonding. Multiple layers of RAMs are then added, followed by coats of radar-absorbing paint filled with microscopic spheres coated in carbonyl iron. These absorb radar energy instead of bouncing it back. Thanks to new mechanical coating techniques, the painting process is now faster, more precise and more efficient. Despite its remarkable performance, the F-22 program ultimately proved too costly to sustain. Each jet carried a price tag of roughly $150 million, while the overall program topped $67 billion. At the same time, military priorities shifted between 2005 and 2011, with greater emphasis on counterinsurgency, terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, where adversaries lacked comparable firepower. The last Raptor, tail number 4195, rolled off the line in December 2011. In total, just 187 were produced. Today, the F-22 is a key role in US air power. But military leaders anticipate phasing it out as early as the 2013s. Its successor is expected to be not only more adaptable, but also far less expensive, with the ability to switch seamlessly between multiple mission roles on the modern battlefield. That successor is the F-35 Lightning II also, built by Lockheed Martin. Introduced less than a decade after the F-22, the F-35 represents a very different design philosophy. Instead of focusing solely on air dominance, it was built as a multi-role stealth fighter. Capable of air-to-air combat, ground strikes, surveillance and reconnaissance. The US envisions its three variants, replacing several older aircraft. With a top speed of Mach 1.6 and a range of about 1,200 nautical miles, carries an impressive mix of weapons in internal bays and external hardpoints. To bring such an aircraft into reality, Lockheed Martin pioneered a groundbreaking production process, requiring massive investment. The program is a global collaboration, with contributions from companies like BAE Systems and Pratt & Whitney. Using a modular approach, components are built in different locations before final assembly. To streamline this, Lockheed and its partners developed new technologies, including ProjectionWorks laser projectors that display instructions and alignment directly on the aircraft structure. This innovation alone could save over $100 million across the program's lifespan. Other advanced techniques include robotic assembly, automated guided vehicles and 3D printing. The F-35 comes in three distinct models. The F-35A is designed for conventional takeoffs, the F-35C for catapult launches from carriers and the F-35B for short takeoffs and vertical landings. The B variant relies on a Rolls-Royce lift fan behind the cockpit, generating up to 20,000 pounds of thrust. Combined with a swiveling exhaust nozzle that pivots 95 degrees, it allows the aircraft to operate from short runways or small ships. Though vertical lift jets have existed for decades, the F-35B represents the most advanced iteration to date. Even beyond the B variant's unique lift system, the F-35's standard engine is among the world's most sophisticated. Built exclusively for the jet, Pratt & Whitney's F-135PW100 afterburning turbofan weighs over three tons and produces 28,000 pounds of thrust normally, or 43,000 with the afterburner. This exceptional thrust-to-weight ratio fuels the fighter's speed, agility and payload capacity. Since the aircraft's introduction in 2015, thousands of technicians have been trained to handle this highly specialized engine. In some respects, the F-35 recalls another iconic single-engine fighter still in service worldwide, the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Originally a General Dynamics design, it has been built by Lockheed Martin since 1995. Later versions feature Pratt & Whitney's F-100PW229 afterburner engine, delivering around 29,000 pounds of thrust. At roughly half the weight of the F-35's engine, it remains far easier for crews to maintain, especially at smaller bases with limited resources. Stealth, however, is not limited to aircraft. Long before jets became invisible to radar, submarines perfected the art of stealth at sea. Building these complex vessels requires dedicated facilities and highly skilled teams. Meeting such demands calls for advanced research and development centers. One such institution is the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Tasked with providing the people, technology and engineering expertise to equip the Navy. Within it, the Carderock Division oversees the full spectrum of maritime science, from design and testing to long-term engineering support. Around 2,000 engineers, scientists and specialists work there across more than 40 fields. Carderock's facilities focus on ship design, hull forms, propulsors and environmental systems. Equipped with specialized labs, offshore platforms, modeling software and simulation tools, the center allows engineers to test new vessel concepts virtually before physical construction. These simulations assess hydrodynamics, structural strength and computational fluid dynamics, offering valuable insights during the design phase. Such research and testing pave the way for new submarine models to enter production. The construction process often begins at America's largest shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls, which has been building naval vessels for over a century. The process starts in foundries, where raw steel is melted at over 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit. By carefully controlling temperature and carbon content, workers ensure the highest quality metal. The molten steel is poured into molds and cooled evenly to avoid stress fractures. At one foundry spanning 200,000 square feet, as many as 1,000 castings are produced annually, including massive pours of up to 21,000 pounds for the Columbia-class submarine program. These steel components become the foundation of a submarine's hull. The assembly begins with a ceremonial event called the first cut of steel. When a plasma cutting machine shapes the first plates for construction, the cut pieces are welded into major sections such as the sail, using internal frames to give them form. Once completed, these sections are moved to the main assembly hall, where the keel-laying ceremony is held. This tradition marks the symbolic birth of the vessel and the beginning of full assembly. Cranes and hoists are used to position and weld the massive parts together, particularly the sail, which signifies completion of the submarine's outer structure. When construction and assembly are finished, the submarine is launched. It is transferred from the building hall to a floating dry dock, then guided by tugboats to the pier for outfitting, testing and crew training. Sea trials include submersion tests and high-speed maneuvers, both on the surface and underwater, ensuring the vessel meets strict performance standards before entering service. Modern submarine development depends heavily on the groundwork done at research centers and testing facilities. These state-of-the-art hubs drive innovation in every aspect of design and performance, ensuring that naval technology remains ahead of potential threats. The evolution of stealth technology in both aircraft and submarines showcases America's determination to stay at the forefront of defense innovation. From the F-22 and F-35 inch The Skies to the Columbia-class submarines beneath the seas, each program reflects decades of engineering progress, collaboration and precision. Together, they not only strengthen U.S. military power, but also guarantee readiness in an ever-changing global security environment. That's the end of this video. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss any of our new content. See you next time!