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F-117 Stealth Fighter Retired
Back in the late '80s and early '90s, the F-117 Stealth Fighter was a global symbol of U.S. airborne supremacy. We had a jet that was so advanced, it was virtually immune from being shot down. However, the unending march of technological progress is a real drag, and now those cool -ooking angular jets are being retired, tossed aside like so many of last year's hottest graphics cards.
The F-117 actually entered service in 1983, but it wasn't made public for another five years. Soon after, it played an important role in the first Gulf War, where pilots raved about being able to fly right into the sweeps of enemy radar without being detected. However, everything the F-117 can do, the military's new F-22 Raptor can do better, including carrying more weapons and flying faster. Perhaps most importantly, the new Raptor will be cheaper to operate in the long run.
Of the 59 F-117 Nighthawks that were produced, all are now out of commission, seven having crashed and the remainder mothballed at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio. They will be kept operationally ready so that they could be brought out of retirement if needed.
So, R.I.P., Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. We look forward to seeing you up close and personal at the museum.
From Engadget
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Comments
4
Subscribe to commentserj210Mar 12th 2008 2:45PM
NoOOO! There barely 25. Oh well, I guess just another thing to tell you your gettin older.
RichieMar 12th 2008 3:05PM
I guess the logistical question is even though the new F22 is better then the stealths, were the F117s still more advanced then our enemies capabilities?
433/NortheastMar 12th 2008 3:47PM
* Crap-SO What if the Military has the F-22Raptor? Does any other Military Threat have anything that is going to threaten? Crap,the Military will probably Sell a couple dozen of these to the Israelis, OR Germans , just watch , Betcha 50cents !!!!!!!!Oh yeah,forgot about Russia , and the Chinese Army/Air Force .
LTMar 12th 2008 10:56PM
Do you want to know how many errors there are in this story? 1st, they are not all retired yet, that won't happen until 22 April. 2nd, none are at Wright Pat, they are all going back to Tonapah Test Range, to the same hangers they first flew out of. 3rd, the Raptor doesn't do the same mission as the F-117 -- the 117 is a deep interdiction small bomber. The Raptor is an Air superiority and Destruction of enemy air defenses platform -- it is not now and never will be equipped for interdiction. To answer some of the above comments, yes it is still more advanced than anything the enemies have, and yes, some of our enemies have jets that are near peers for the F-22 in many respects in it's air superiority mission, but nothing that can do what a 117 does. Incidentally, the military doesn't sell weapons overseas, congress does. The 117 was never meant to go fast -- that is not a skill needed for it's mission. The raptor is actually quite a bit more expensive to operate, BTW. The 117s are not being kept operationally ready -- they are in "recallable status". All that means is they are being preserved. The wings are being removed in order to pack them into hangers closer together. At least 3 stealths are going on static display -- two in california and one at Holloman AFB. And finally, the versions of jets that are sold overseas do not have all of the electronics and other classified gizmos that make the difference between 1st place and also ran. They get an airframe that they have to "dress up" on their own.