Why The F-117 Nighthawk Was Retired (But Is Still Flying)

The United States Air Force's F-117 Nighthawk crawled so the F-22 Raptor could run. The Nighthawk was America's first invisible stealth jet, taking its first flight in 1981 and being fully operational for the USAF in 1983. Its details, and even its existence, were kept close to the chest until 1988, when the U.S. government finally acknowledged its existence. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works designed it to counter threats from the Soviet Union during the Cold War and though it had to operate at night, was the centerpiece for the first Gulf War. There, the Nighthawk performed more like a bomber than a fighter, dropping bombs on communication centers and storage facilities.

The USAF finally decided to retire the Nighthawk in 2008  because there were more advanced stealth platforms taking to the skies, including the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The Air Force transferred 52 Nighthawks to the Tonopah Test Range – also known as Area 52, where the Air Force tests nuclear weapon systems and foreign systems — and maintained them in working condition in case they needed to return to service as required by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2007. However, the NDAA was eventually repealed, which allowed the USAF to scrap the first stealth fighter. 

Of the remaining 40 Nighthawks sitting at the test range, 10 have been approved for sale to museums. However, the USAF has found further use for the F-117 Nighthawk, breathing new life into the outdated stealth platform.

While the F-117 Nighthawk's capabilities compared to something like the F-22 Raptor or Russia's fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 Felon fighter jet are inferior, and a good portion of the ones sent to the Tonopah Test Range have been either scrapped or delivered to museums, the USAF has found that it's still a useful platform. So much so that the Air Force is looking into keeping it around for another decade, albeit not in a frontlines capacity. Pilots in the Marine Corps flying F-35Bs have been training alongside Nighthawks in Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) drills, where pilots need to go against stealthy aggressors that have different infrared and other signature profiles.

This prepares American pilots for newer aircraft that China and Russia are developing. Col. Troy Havener of the USAF said, "The training against integrated forces that include the F-117 will challenge and sharpen pilots, as well as build confidence in tactics and systems needed to defend our nation," according to Aviation Week.

The United States Air National Guard is using the stealth fighter in a rather unique fashion where pilots fly them to simulate cruise missiles. In 2021, F-117s flew with F-15 Eagles from the Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California. Lt. Gen. Michael Loh of the National Guard in 2021 said, "So they can simulate things out there like cruise missiles that we would actually face. So are they a perfect platform for a cruise missile defense exercise? Absolutely," according to the National Interest.