F-117 Stealth Fighter to Be Retired

AP ^ | March 11, 2008 | JAMES HANNAH

[Joiseydude]

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - The world's first attack aircraft to employ stealth technology is slipping quietly into history.

The inky black, angular, radar-evading F-117, which spent 27 years in the Air Force arsenal secretly patrolling hostile skies from Serbia to Iraq, will be put in mothballs next month in Nevada.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, which manages the F-117 program, will have an informal, private retirement ceremony Tuesday with military leaders, base employees and representatives from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

[Resolute Conservative]

I wonder what has replaced it that we have not seen yet?

[ArrogantBustard]

F-22 Raptor is replacing it ...

Of course, there may be other things as well.

[elhombrelibre]

F22.

[jerod]

Is this retirement of all F-117 Fighters, or ‘a’ F-117 fighter?

[Mr. K]

wow- if they are retiring this amazing aircraft just imagine what it’s replacement must be like...

I had read something a while back that this aircraft was so invisible that someone had found a way to detect it by scanning the sky for somethign that was NOT there (i.e. background noise being blocked by ‘something’ invisible)

pretty clever

[Alex Murphy]

The inky black, angular, radar-evading F-117, which spent 27 years in the Air Force arsenal secretly patrolling hostile skies from Serbia to Iraq, will be put in mothballs next month in Nevada.

Ping for later

[Joiseydude]

All F-117’s

[ArrogantBustard]

Come back after the conspiracy nuts have shown up.

[MrB]

Read “Skunkworks”. Really cool stuff. This was pre-F117 days.

One of the funny things was finding dead bats in the F-117 hanger - guess why.

[Joiseydude]

Because the F-117’s were even invisible to the bats.

[RobRoy]

>>Of course, there may be other things as well.<<

Yes. They are all disk or “cigar” shaped.

[Resolute Conservative]

The F-22 was designed in the late 80’2 and 90’s and we have seen it for many years. I wonder what is being designed in the last few years that is flying out of Groom Lake and other areas that we haven’t seen yet.

[MrB]

“Invisible” in that the bats’ sonar was not reflected back to them so that they could get an accurate echo.

[varyouga]

Making room for the F22 and F35.

The F117 was designed before stealth was possible with curved aircraft.

The new fighters are more aerodynamic and just as stealthy thanks to computerized design and manufacturing.

[RobRoy]

I assume that is a joke?

Or are you implying that F117’s don’t reflect sound?

[varyouga]

I had read something a while back that this aircraft was so invisible that someone had found a way to detect it by scanning the sky for somethign that was NOT there (i.e. background noise being blocked by ‘something’ invisible)

Don't forget that one was shot down and probably looked at by our enemies. They could have tuned their radars just to detect it's signature.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the reason for retiring it.

[Red6]

People think it's all dreamed up, but our DoD really does have secret programs to which the F117 belonged for a long time. Even in the Army (Far less high tech) all sort of “who knew we had this” things and gadgets appeared in 2003.

[Red6]

All - this has been planned for years.

[SampleMan]

I wonder what has replaced it that we have not seen yet?

You've seen it. The B-2, JSF, and the F-22. Along with stand-off precision weapons.