In some aspects, a wireless system is configured for estimating a thickness of a material layer on a surface of an aircraft. The wireless system includes a tag device located beneath a material layer. The tag device is capable of transmitting an electromagnetic signal in response to an electromagnetic signal. In some aspects, a transceiver device is configured to estimate the thickness of a material layer on a surface of an aircraft. The transceiver can be configured to communicate with a tag using electromagnetic signals. The transceiver can include one or more processors configured to measure signal strength and correlate the signal strength to the thickness of a material layer.