Detection of corrosion precursor pitting on metallic surfaces under various coatings and on bare metal is of keen interest in evaluation of aircraft fuselage. Near‐field microwave nondestructive testing methods, utilizing open‐ended rectangular waveguides and coaxial probes, have been used extensively for detection of surface flaws in metals, both on bare metal and under a dielectric coating. This paper presents the preliminary results of using microwave techniques to detect corrosion precursor pitting under paint and primer, applique and on bare metal. Machined pits of 500 &mgr;m diameter were detected using open‐ended rectangular waveguides at V‐Band under paint and primer and applique, and on bare metal. Using coaxial probes, machined pits with diameters down to 150 &mgr;m on bare metal were also detected. Relative pit size and density were shown on a corrosion‐pitted sample using open‐ended rectangular waveguides at frequencies of 35 GHz to 70 GHz. The use of Boeing’s MAUS™ scanning systems provided improved results by alleviating standoff variation and scanning artifact. Typical results of this investigation are also presented. © 2003 American Institute of Physics