Nighthawk’s Last Stand: Training for Peer Wars with China and Russia Until NGAD Arrives
The fifth-generation fighters impress with their advanced technologies and high-flying performance. Yet the F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational stealth aircraft ever built, still holds a unique place in this domain. Designed in the 1970s by Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works division and originally codenamed “Have Blue,” it entered service in 1983 after a secretive development program that cost around $6.6 billion for 59 production units. Although officially retired in 2008 during a ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, this engineering marvel continues to fly for training, testing, and occasional operational missions, defying expectations of obsolescence.
The F-117 revolutionized military aviation with its groundbreaking ability to deflect radar waves through faceted angular surfaces coated in radar-absorbent material (RAM). This design, inspired by Pyotr Ufimtsev’s mathematical theories on radar cross-section reduction, made it nearly invisible to enemy radars of its era. During the 1991 Gulf War, F-117s flew more than 1,200 sorties—accounting for about 30% of all strike missions on the first day—achieving an 80% success rate in precision bombing with laser-guided munitions like the GBU-27. No aircraft were lost in combat despite operating deep in Iraqi airspace protected by dense SAM networks.
Based primarily at the remote Tonopah Test Range and the infamous Groom Lake (Area 51) in Nevada, the Nighthawk remains active today to evaluate cutting-edge radars, train pilots in low-observable tactics, and simulate adversary threats. In May 2025, it participated in the Sentry Savannah exercise at Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, and showcased its enduring capabilities in the “Lightning Carrier” demonstration aboard the USS Tripoli alongside F-35B Lightning II jets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214. These events underscored the U.S. military’s technological edge in integrated air-sea operations.
The F-117 is not without vulnerabilities. It cannot operate in heavy rain, as water can degrade its delicate RAM coatings, potentially increasing its radar signature. It lacks any active defense systems—no radar warning receivers, electronic countermeasures, or even a cannon—forcing reliance on pure stealth and nighttime operations. A stark reminder of these limitations came on March 27, 1999, during NATO’s Operation Allied Force over Kosovo, when Yugoslav forces under Colonel Zoltán Dani used a modified SA-3 Goa missile battery with low-frequency radar and visual cues to shoot down F-117 serial number 86-0836 (callsign "Something Wicked"). The pilot, Lt. Col. Dale Zelko, ejected safely, but wreckage analysis by Serbian and later Russian experts revealed insights into U.S. stealth tech, influencing designs like the S-400 system.
Despite official retirement, the F-117 persists in limited service. As of 2025, approximately 45 airframes remain under U.S. Air Force control, stored in Type 1000 climate-controlled hangars at Tonopah to preserve their coatings. The fleet conducts two to three sorties annually, often for red-air aggression in exercises like Red Flag at Nellis AFB. The War Zone indicates the USAF is pursuing extensions until 2034 via a maintenance, storage, and gradual demilitarization program authorized under congressional mandates to avoid full disposal costs (estimated at $1 million per aircraft). Key upgrades include certification for in-flight refueling with the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker, enabling transcontinental flights without intermediate stops—a capability tested successfully in 2024. This sustains the Nighthawk’s role in adversary emulation against peer threats.
Maintaining the F-117 opens strategic doors, particularly in potential conflicts with near-peer adversaries like China or Russia. Its 2,000+ nautical mile range with internal fuel, paired with standoff weapons such as the AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile), allows strikes from beyond most air defense envelopes. Originally conceived to penetrate Soviet IADS (Integrated Air Defense Systems) during the Cold War, it bypassed radars like the P-18 Spoon Rest. Today, it faces evolved threats: China’s HQ-9B with active electronically scanned arrays (AESA), Russia’s S-500 Prometheus, and fighters like the J-20 Mighty Dragon (which boasts a radar cross-section reportedly under 0.1 m²) or Su-57 Felon with hypersonic missiles. Yet the F-117’s low-observable profile—estimated at 0.001 m² from the front—combined with electronic warfare support from assets like the EA-18G Growler, keeps it relevant for niche roles. Upgrades could integrate newer munitions, such as the GBU-53/B StormBreaker small diameter bomb, enhancing precision in contested environments.
The U.S. relies on this platform to hone pilot skills in stealth operations, simulating enemy low-observable aircraft in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). Programs at the USAF Weapons School use F-117s to replicate J-20 or Su-57 signatures, teaching tactics like emitter avoidance and network-centric warfare. This bridges the gap until the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program delivers sixth-generation fighters, projected for the 2030s with features like optional manning, laser weapons, and AI co-pilots. The F-117’s cockpit, with its rudimentary fly-by-wire and heads-down displays, contrasts sharply with modern glass cockpits in the F-22 or F-35, offering valuable lessons in human factors under stealth constraints.
Historically, the F-117’s development stemmed from DARPA’s XST (Experimental Stealth Technology) initiative in 1974, beating out Northrop’s entry to secure the contract. First flight occurred in 1981, and operational capability was achieved in 1983 with the 4450th Tactical Group. Over 937 combat hours in Panama (Operation Just Cause, 1989) and the Balkans further validated its precision strike doctrine. Post-retirement sightings—often photographed by aviation enthusiasts near Tonopah—fuel speculation about black projects, though official statements attribute flights to testing.
In essence, the F-117 embodies stealth’s foundational legacy. From evading 1970s radars to challenging 21st-century systems, it trains the next generation while awaiting successors. Its persistence highlights prudent resource management: why scrap a proven asset when it can evolve? As global tensions rise—with China’s PL-15 missiles and Russia’s Kinzhal hypersonics—the Nighthawk’s quiet flights remind us that innovation often builds on the past.
