RAM coating is not something that’s strictly mandatory; it’s more of a solution applied to specific areas where it’s actually needed, and it comes with maintenance and sustainment challenges. The main contributors to stealth are the aircraft’s geometry, surface alignment, and overall design.
Modern composite airframes reduce radar reflections significantly compared to metallic structures, which lowers the need for RAM, but composites are not a one-to-one replacement for RAM. RAM absorbs radar energy, while composites mainly help by reducing reflections.
That’s why on a platform like Kızılelma, which follows a balanced stealth–cost–operational approach, it doesn’t make much sense to apply RAM across the entire airframe. It will most likely be used selectively on critical areas such as the nose, air intakes, and leading edges.