Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

Summary

Description

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was developed to counter the increasing threat posed by sophisticated surface-to-air missile defenses during the Cold War. Initiated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 1976, Lockheed's Skunk Works received a contract for the Have Blue technology demonstrator, which validated the concept of stealth using faceted shaping. Lockheed formally began the F-117 development program on 1 November 1978, led by Ben Rich with Alan Brown as project manager. The design leveraged Pyotr Ufimtsev's theories, processed by a computer program called "Echo" developed by mathematicians Bill Schroeder and Denys Overholser, enabling the creation of aircraft designs with flat panels optimized to scatter radar signals. The first YF-117A prototype (79-10780) conducted its maiden flight at Groom Lake, Nevada, on 18 June 1981, just 31 months after the program commenced. Production began shortly thereafter, and the initial operational F-117 was delivered in 1982, achieving initial operating capability in October 1983.

The single-seat F-117 is powered by two nonafterburning General Electric F404 turbofan engines. These engines were modified for stealth operations, including operating at cooler temperatures and featuring designs that facilitated stealthy inlets and nozzles. Conductive metal mesh grills were incorporated into the intakes to shield the engine from radar detection, and exhaust gases were mixed with cool air to reduce the thermal signature. The aircraft is equipped for air refueling and features a V-tail configuration. It has a maximum speed of 623 mph (1,003 km/h; 541 kn) at high altitude, with a service ceiling ranging from 43,000 to 45,000 feet (13,000 to 14,000 m). Aerodynamically unstable across all three principal axes, the F-117 relies on continuous flight corrections from a quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system. Key components of the avionics and FBW systems were derived from existing aircraft such as the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, and McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft's navigation and attack capabilities are integrated into a digital avionics suite that utilizes GPS and high-accuracy inertial navigation for primary guidance. Target acquisition is achieved through a thermal imaging infrared system paired with a laser rangefinder/laser designator, enabling the deployment of laser-guided bombs. The aircraft's faceted shape contributes to a low radar cross-section of approximately 0.001 m2 (0.0108 sq ft).

The F-117 featured two internal weapons bays, each equipped with one hardpoint, allowing for a total of two weapons to be carried. The split internal bay could carry 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of ordnance. A variety of munitions could be carried, such as a pair of GBU-10, GBU-12, or GBU-27 laser-guided bombs (including Paveway II and Paveway III versions with 2,000 lb (910 kg) Mk84 blast/fragmentation or BLU-109 or BLU-116 Penetrator warheads), two BLU-109 penetration bombs, or, after 2006, two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) GPS/INS-guided bombs (including GBU-31 versions with Mk84 blast-frag or BLU-109 Penetrator warheads). Additionally, it could carry the B61 nuclear bomb.

The F-117 made its combat debut during the United States invasion of Panama in 1989. Its prominence grew significantly during the Gulf War in 1991, where it conducted approximately 1,300 sorties, engaging 1,600 high-value targets in Iraq according to U.S. military reports. During the conflict in Yugoslavia in 1999, an F-117 was lost to a surface-to-air missile. Further operational deployments included Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, continuing to perform precision strike missions. The F-117 was exclusively operated by the United States Air Force. The F-117 was officially retired from service in 2008.

Main Variants:

• Have Blue: This was the subscale technology demonstrator that validated the stealth design concepts, using components from various existing aircraft.

• YF-117A: These were the five full-scale development aircraft, serving as prototypes during the F-117's development and testing phase.

• F-117A: This was the primary production variant, a single-seat stealth attack aircraft used extensively in various combat operations by the United States Air Force.

• F-117N "Seahawk": Proposed to the Navy as an alternative to the cancelled A/F-X program, this carrier-capable variant would have included elevators, a bubble canopy, less sharply swept wings, reconfigured tail, and General Electric F414 turbofans.

• F-117B: Submitted as a multi-mission variant with afterburning capability, it was proposed alongside the F-117N to the USAF and RAF, aiming for broader operational roles but ultimately not ordered.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

Country		Units
	United States	4

Numbers in parentheses, e.g. '(+5)', indicate units ordered but not yet delivered.

All operators

United States

Armament

Missiles payload:

• Air-to-Surface AGM-65 Maverick
• Anti-Radiation AGM-88 HARM

Bombs payload:

• Guided GBU-32/B JDAM
• Low-Drag Lockheed-Martin BLU-109/B
• Low-Drag Mk 84
• Laser-Guided Raytheon GBU-10 Paveway II
• Laser-Guided Raytheon GBU-12

Photo of F-117 Nighthawk

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