Lockheed Martin F-117 Nighthawk

F117s were used in combat in Syria just a couple of years ago. I imagine there is a silver bullet force as we saw in syria. It was too good and had too much life left. Especially when you consider that using the f117 instead of raptors and 35s saves their capabilities from being known. I have heard from retired persons the f117 was considered for killing ubl to avoid spirits and raptors and tipping our hand. If you turn a nighthawk into an unmanned drone for a 1 way mission you double its range...
 
Interesting but, why throw away a resource like that? If it's worthy of use (Which I believe it is) use it properly and try to maintain level of availability. It may not be great against peer nations but other lower level nations, why not? The fact that aggressor training is also an effective use of assets is a plus.
 
rooster said:
F117s were used in combat in Syria just a couple of years ago. I imagine there is a silver bullet force as we saw in syria. It was too good and had too much life left. Especially when you consider that using the f117 instead of raptors and 35s saves their capabilities from being known. I have heard from retired persons the f117 was considered for killing ubl to avoid spirits and raptors and tipping our hand. If you turn a nighthawk into an unmanned drone for a 1 way mission you double its range...
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Do you have a source for the Syrian usage? First I'd heard of it.
 
rooster said:
Everyone knows I am just an enthusiast here. That said, why are we keeping the nighthawks flying when there are better options for "stealth" platforms to train against? What happened to the Boeing and NG drones, for example? If they are just keeping - I am guessing - 3 or 4 nighthawks flying, isn't it more costly than the drones we had built and flown?
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Apparently the IR performance is still state of the art- I'm guessing that may be part of it.
 
Probably less state of the art and more uncompromising low IR engine arrangement. Dropping the reheat allows for more IR friendly placement.
 
coanda said:
Josh_TN said:
rooster said:
F117s were used in combat in Syria just a couple of years ago. I imagine there is a silver bullet force as we saw in syria. It was too good and had too much life left. Especially when you consider that using the f117 instead of raptors and 35s saves their capabilities from being known. I have heard from retired persons the f117 was considered for killing ubl to avoid spirits and raptors and tipping our hand. If you turn a nighthawk into an unmanned drone for a 1 way mission you double its range...
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Do you have a source for the Syrian usage? First I'd heard of it.
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They didn't get used in Syria. There is no evidence. If Tyler R is to be believed then it was Avenger that was used.
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They'd be hard to miss-identify too, they're completely different aircraft shapes --
 
There were a few stories about the syria strikes but I was even remembering The War Zone story.
 
So the answer is 'No' then, only seen after it had gone into service.
I saw one at the Reno Air Races in the early 90's, mostly hidden in a hanger ringed by shoulder to shoulder army personnel. Although it was brought out for a flying display at the end of the week. Which didn't happen because it was too windy that day.

I had asked this in the B-21 thread, but I see the question has been moved to here. I asked there, because of the ongoing discussion about the B-21 'roll out' and I fail to see why you would want to show it off.
 
Hi All,
Has any information been released about what the Soviet Union knew about the F-117 program before it was declassified? With the fall of the soviet union in 1991 and the opening of many secret files I thought some information may be out there. I'm sure the KGB and GRU where very interested in any applications of low observable technology be researched by the United States.
 
Plenty of literature (or extract):

wavellroom.com

Moscow’s Perspectives on the Evolution of US Stealth Technology

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The growing number of stealth aircraft being fielded by the United States and its allies presents Russia with an unprecedented challenge. Yet, rather than acknowledge the qualitative leap in capability that a larger and more sophisticated fleet of stealth aircraft brings with...
wavellroom.com wavellroom.com
 
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Via DreamlandResort.com

Once top-secret stealth fighter jet seen parked in Nevada parking lot​

by: Duncan Phenix, Nexstar Media Wire
Posted: Jul 28, 2022 / 09:44 AM MDT
Updated: Jul 28, 2022 / 10:35 AM MDT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — What was once a top-secret and classified military dark project involving stealth technology was seen parked in front of Whisky Pete’s Hotel and Casino in the Nevada town of Primm on Wednesday afternoon for all to see.


The now not-so-secret F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter jet, pictured below, is being transported to the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California, where it will be put on display.
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www.westernslopenow.com

Stealth jet, once top-secret, seen in parking lot

What was once a top-secret and classified military dark project involving stealth technology was seen parked in front of Whisky Pete’s Hotel and Casino Wednesday afternoon for all to see. The…
www.westernslopenow.com www.westernslopenow.com

295855806_2184610808387025_8522343459450273647_n.jpg 296022655_2184610905053682_5209413062986052155_n.jpg
 
www.yahoo.com

15 years after 'officially' retiring its first stealth jet, the US Air Force is looking for help to keep the F-117 flying for another decade

As the world's first stealth warplane, the F-117 Nighthawk has always had an air of mystery around it.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

15 years after 'officially' retiring its first stealth jet, the US Air Force is looking for help to keep the F-117 flying for another decade​

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When it first flew in the early 1980s, the F-117 Nighthawk was the first operational stealth aircraft. The F-117 has been officially retired for about 15 years, but its retirement has been far from sedentary. The Nighthawk is still being used to train US pilots to counter enemy stealth planes and cruise missiles.
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The US Air Force is now making plans to keep some of its Nighthawks flying until at least 2034. A US Air Force Request for Information published this past fall sought companies interested in a potential 10-year contract to provide maintenance for the F-117, beginning in 2024.
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The F-117 has been officially retired for about 15 years, but its retirement has been far from sedentary.
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Double dipping never ends... Straight out of the Air Force into a nice cushy contractor gig doing the same job for twice the money. And it's probably collecting retired pay, too. ;)
 
Northrop had the contract for the F-117 Sustainment program , which transitioned into the F-117 Preservation program, around the time of retirement. That contact did apparently last 10 years or more.
 
Umm, specifically which Northrop division, if I may ask?
 
I don't the think airframes a lot of time on them. The USAF plan may be to bring the aircraft up to current tech levels as much as possible and use them again for special ISR operations? Plus, coatings have evolved as well, but you never know.
 
I was today years old when I learned F-117s can go supersonic:
Supersonic_F-117.jpg

Source:
Defense Suppression
Building Some Operational Concepts
STANLEY J. DOUGHERTY, MAJOR, USAF
School of Advanced Airpower Studies
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA364843.pdf

I also learned that looking for pdfs on dtic, ntrs, etc. it's terribly addictive and highly dispersive, since I keep stumbling from one rabbit hole into another...
 
CiTrus90 said:
I was today years old when I learned F-117s can go supersonic:
View attachment 692188

Source:
Defense Suppression
Building Some Operational Concepts
STANLEY J. DOUGHERTY, MAJOR, USAF
School of Advanced Airpower Studies
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA364843.pdf

I also learned that looking for pdfs on dtic, ntrs, etc. it's terribly addictive and highly dispersive, since I keep stumbling from one rabbit hole into another...
Click to expand...

Most jet planes can go supersonic at least once TBF.
 

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