But I still wonder why the coating is new and experimental, given that the environment under the aft nozzle is determined by engine cycle decisions taken 22 years ago. Maybe it has something to do with LM's statement in 2010, after the NAVFAC report emerged....
“The difference between F-35B main-engine exhaust temperature and that of the AV-8B is very small, and is not anticipated to require any significant CONOPS changes for the F-35B.”
The Marines said they believed it:
https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/201...#axzz0l6WvdQPr
So maybe someone in QE-class land believed it as well. So now the ship needs a newly developed deck coating, and VLs on land need AM-2 or high-temperature-concrete pads.