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Why can stealth features make aircraft heavier and more difficult to maintain?

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military aircraft Tupolev Tu-22M, a Russian variable-wing supersonic jet bomber first flown in 1969. It was designed for potential use in war against the NATO countries, where it was known by the designation “Backfire.”

Stealth technology, while effective at reducing an aircraft's visibility to radar, introduces significant design and operational trade-offs.

Weight and Performance
Stealth aircraft often require specialized radar-absorbent materials and coatings to minimize reflections. These materials add substantial weight to the airframe, which can reduce the aircraft's overall range or payload capacity. Furthermore, because stealth designs necessitate carrying weapons internally to maintain a smooth, low-observable profile, they are often limited in the amount of ordnance they can carry compared to conventional aircraft.123

Maintenance Challenges
Maintaining stealth capabilities is inherently difficult because the aircraft's exterior must remain exceptionally smooth and free of protrusions to avoid detection. Minimizing doors, panels, and other openings in the fuselage makes routine access for inspections and repairs more complex. Over time, the wear and tear of normal operations can degrade these specialized surfaces, requiring intensive maintenance to ensure the aircraft remains effective. These requirements, combined with the need for sophisticated stabilization systems to compensate for non-optimal aerodynamic shapes, significantly increase both the complexity and the cost of maintaining these advanced military aircraft.13