-F-117A Nighthawk
-Text: "National Museum of the U.S. Air Force"
- Charcoal Gray
- 100% Preshrunk Cotton
The Lockheed F-117A was developed in response to an Air Force request for an aircraft capable of attacking high value targets without being detected by hostile radar systems. By the 1970s special materials and techniques had become available to aircraft designers that would allow them to design an aircraft with radar-evading or "stealth" qualities. The F-117A was the world's first operational aircraft that fully incorporated these radar-evading techniques.
The first F-117A unit, the 4450th Tactical Group, achieved initial operating capability in October 1983. The 4450th was renamed the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in October 1983. The F-117A was first used in combat during Operation Just Cause on December 19, 1989 when two F-117As from the 37th TFW attacked military targets in Panama. The F-117A was again called into action during Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-91 when the 415th and the 416th squadrons of the 37th TFW moved to a base in Saudi Arabia. During Operation Desert Storm the F-117As flew 1,271 stories.
The aircraft on display is the second F-117A built and was specially modified and instrumented to test various systems. After its test program was completed the Air Force decided to retire the aircraft and turned it over to the National Museum of the Untied States Air Force in 1991.