The F-117 Nighthawk Was Never Really a ‘Stealth Fighter’ Afterall

The F-117 Nighthawk Was Never Really a ‘Stealth Fighter’ Afterall

The F-117 Nighthawk, despite its "F" for Fighter designation, was a dedicated ground-attack aircraft that pioneered the era of low-observable technology. Developed by Lockheed’s Skunk Works, the Nighthawk utilized a unique faceted design and radar-absorbent materials (RAM) to achieve a "broadband" stealth profile that decimated 1,500 targets during the Gulf War. Though officially retired in 2008, the U.S. Air Force continues to operate a fleet o…