F-117s Due To Retire
After 25 years of storied service, the F-117 Nighthawk -- the
Air Force's first stealth fighter -- is about to retire. The
technology that once made it a unique weapon system has now caught
up to it, and newer fighter aircraft are now joining the fleet.
Still, the Nighthawk was the first of its kind, a fact anyone who
has spent time around the aircraft is quick to point out.
Many of these people were gathered at Holloman Air Force Base
near Alamogordo, NM October 29, to commemorate 25 years of
Nighthawk history at the Silver Stealth ceremony. Members of the
F-117 community, past and present, were on hand to pay homage to
the aircraft's illustrious history, a history that contains as many
secrets as it does legends.
Since it was officially named a part of the Air Force in 1981,
the Nighthawk began making an impression on military officials. Not
just because it was "funny" looking, but because the aircraft
brought many new capabilities to the battlefield.
The Nighthawk, after all, was the stuff of science fiction. It
could fly across enemy skies and through the world's most advanced
radar systems without being detected. This capability allowed the
aircraft to perform reconnaissance missions and bomb critical
targets, all without the enemy knowing who or what had hit
them.
"This is a strategic weapon that really reshaped how the Air
Force looked at strategic warfare," said Lt. Col. Chris Knehans,
commander of the 7th Fighter Squadron at Holloman. "It doesn't
matter what defenses you put up, how deep you try to hide or how
much you surround yourself with collateral damage, this airplane
will come and get you."
This fact has made the Nighthawk a vital part of the Air Force's
various campaigns since the aircraft's introduction. It has seen
service in Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia as part of such
operations as Desert Storm, Allied Force, Just Cause and Iraqi and
Enduring Freedom.
For those who either fly or provide support to the Nighthawk,
the aircraft has been a faithful one. Knowing it is now in its last
days is bittersweet for many of them.
"From a pragmatic point of view, we all understand why it's
leaving," Colonel Knehans said. "I mean it's a 30-year-old concept
now. But when you look at its history, its design and its combat
record ... yeah, the Air Force is going to lose basically a very
unique weapon system."
For Master Sgt. Byron Osborn, who has worked on the F-117 for
almost 19 years, the emotions are clearer.
"For old timers like me, it's a sad day," he said. "A lot of the
younger guys like the new, flashier aircraft, but I'll stick with
this old dog any day."
The Air Force is saying goodbye to the F-117, but not to the
effect it has had on modern warfare. Its successor, the F-22
Raptor, will continue the fight the Nighthawk started, which,
according to retired Gen. Lloyd "Fig" Newton, one of the first
F-117 pilots, is a hard job to fill.
"Whenever its nation called, the F-117 answered, providing
capabilities that had never been known before," he said. "If we
needed the door kicked in, the stealth was the one to do it. Never
before had such an aircraft existed."
Modern technology may have caught up with the F-117, and new
aircraft may be set to take its place on the tarmac, but none will
ever be able to replace it.
(Aero-News salutes Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates, Air Force Print
News)