The F-117, which was hailed as the first airplane in the world to deploy stealth technology, never ceases to amaze and confound anybody who sees it
The first six examples of the renowned F-117A Nighthawk were decommissioned by the United States Air Force (USAF) on March 13, 2007.
The F-117 was scheduled to be retired by the service in 2011, however, due to expected budget cuts, early retirement was estimated to free up more than $1 billion to purchase additional F-22s.
In order to meet an Air Force demand for a single-seat aircraft that could attack high-value targets without being seen by adversarial radars, the Lockheed F-117A was created. Engineers were able to create an airplane with radar-evading or “stealth” characteristics thanks to new materials and methods discovered in the 1970s.
The end result was the F-117A, the first stealth aircraft in use in the world, which made its maiden flight on June 18, 1981. A total of 64 aircraft were produced, 59 of which were full production models and the remaining five were demonstrators or prototypes. The 4450th Tactical Group, which became the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1989, was the first unit to receive the aircraft. It gained initial operating capability (IOC) in October 1983.
A total of 558 pilots flew the fighter when it was in use, according to Arlan Ponder, 49th Wing Public Affairs, in the article Nighthawk returns to Heritage Park. After their initial flight, they were given a bandit number, and they referred to themselves as “bandits.” Maj. Al Whitley Jr. was the first “bandit” (number 150), and Gen. David Goldfein was the last “bandit” (number 708).
The Collier Trophy, one of the most coveted awards in aviation, was given to the F-117A in 1989. On December 19, 1989, two F-117As from the 37th TFW bombed military objectives in Panama as part of Operation Just Cause.
When the 415th and 416th squadrons of the 37th TFW relocated to a base in Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990–1991 the F-117A saw action once more. The F-117As participated in 1,271 sorties during Operation Desert Storm, completing 80 percent of its missions successfully while sustaining no casualties or battle damage.
The Nighthawk also took part in Operation Allied Force, a NATO bombing campaign designed to stop the humanitarian catastrophe that was then engulfing Kosovo. On March 27, 1999, an SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missile fired by the 3rd Battalion of the 250th Air Defence Missile Brigade of the Army of Yugoslavia, under the command of Colonel Zoltan Dani, brought down an F-117A, Air Force serial number 82-0806, callsign “Vega 31”.
The airstrikes by the F-117s over Baghdad on March 19, 2003, signaled the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIR). The Air Force’s decision to speed up the F-117’s retirement resulted in the F-22A Raptor, another stealth “fighter,” arriving at Holloman in June 2008.
The last F-117s departed Holloman in April 2008 and traveled to Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, for their final resting place after making a stop in Palmdale, California, the city where they were built. In case they were ever called back into service, the aircraft were put in Type 1000 storage (there have been numerous reports of sightings and images of the aircraft flying since then). Because of the dangerous components employed in its manufacture, one Nighthawk paid the ultimate price in late 2008 when it was mechanically destroyed to determine whether it could be repurposed or scrapped.
Former wing historian, Rick Shea, said, “The F-117A served its creator Ben Rich, itself, the USAF, and the ‘Bandits’ it carried into combat beyond their wildest expectations. The F-117A’s list of accomplishments rates with those of the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Bell X-1. What began as a thought evolved into the world’s premier fighter aircraft.”
The F-117A Nighthawk hailed as the first stealth aircraft in the world has a 27-year history that is chock-full of incidents that actually put it on par with some of the most illustrious jets in history. The “Black Jet” continues to astound, excite, and confound anybody who sees it, from its maiden combat bombing mission in Panama to night strikes in both Iraq Wars until its retirement in 2008.
Source: U.S. Air Force; Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Kim Frey; Senior Airman Darnell Cannady / U.S. Air Force