While the Romulanss loaned the cloaking device to the Federation on Deifient, to be used on in the GQ and with the agreement that the Federation would share all information gathered in the GQ with them. Would it have made sence to reverse engineer the device while they had possession of it, so the Federation would have it's own cloaking device.I am certain that if the situation were reversed the Romulans would have tried to Reverse Engineer the device. Still, realizing, that the Romulans did place one of it's own officers to moniter it's usage, the Federation could at least have made the attempt.
However, a better question is why the Federation never came up with it's own cloaking technology. I mean the Klingons had the technology way back in the days of TOS, I find it hard to believe that in all those years later, the Federation would have to depend on Romulan technology to get a device. Was there somekind of a treaty that prevented the Federation from developing it's own, if there was it was a stupid treaty to sign onto. If not, what were those all those Federation engineers smoking anyway??
Resistance is Futile
However, a better question is why the Federation never came up with it's own cloaking technology. I mean the Klingons had the technology way back in the days of TOS, I find it hard to believe that in all those years later, the Federation would have to depend on Romulan technology to get a device. Was there somekind of a treaty that prevented the Federation from developing it's own, if there was it was a stupid treaty to sign onto. If not, what were those all those Federation engineers smoking anyway??
Resistance is Futile