F-117 Nighthawk

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a stealth ground attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force. The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983. The F-117A was "acknowledged" and revealed to the world in November 1988. A product of the Skunk Works and a development of the Have Blue technology demonstrator, it became the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology. The F-117A was widely publicized during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. The Air Force retired the F-117 on 22 April 2008, primarily due to the fielding of the more effective F-22 Raptor and the upcoming F-35 Lightning II.