F 117 News Today

The F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational stealth aircraft, emerged as part of the U.S. Air Force's strategy to evade Soviet air defenses. Debuting in 1981 and operational by 1983, this stealth bomber, equipped with two General Electric engines, prioritized low observability over high speed.

Despite its official retirement in 2007, the F-117A Nighthawk, a pioneer in stealth technology, remains a valuable asset for the U.S. Air Force, continuing to participate in various missions and trainings.

On March 27, 1999, during NATO's Operation Allied Force, an F-117 Nighthawk, known as "Something Wicked" and piloted by Lt. Col. Dale Zelko, was shot down over Serbia by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system commanded by Serbian Col. Zoltán Dani.

The F-117 was designed to be virtually invisible to radar, and even difficult to spot with the naked eye. The fighter was so secret that it was in service for six years before the U.S. Air Force even admitted its existence. While designated as a fighter, it really operated as a bomber.

The F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters keep coming out of retirement for various training drills. It seems this legendary weapon of war still has some use. 

When the Pentagon officially acknowledged the existence of the F-117 Nighthawk stealth “fighter” back in November 1988, it finally ended years of speculation on the part of the media and the general public alike

Although the airframe’s combat-ready days are over, “retired” F-117 Nighthawks have been allegedly seen flying over Nevada in recent years. 

Designing and building a stealth pole for the Air Force wasn’t an anticipated exercise for the Skunk Works team.

Here are some of these game-changing programs that never got their chance to actually change the game.

As China's fleet of J-20 stealth fighter jets grows, so do suspicions about where Beijing got the technology for it.