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Stealth jet quietly slips into history
Toronto Star ^
| Thu. Nov. 2, 2006
| Bill Taylor
Posted on 11/02/2006 4:16:00 PM PST by NucSubs
Stealth jet quietly slips into history F-117A fighter retired after 25 years Cutting-edge design cloaked in mystery Nov. 2, 2006. 12:54 PM BILL TAYLOR FEATURE WRITER
Almost as furtively as it flew above war zones from Bosnia to Baghdad, America's F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter has retired from active duty.
The years had snuck up on it. Though it remained cutting-edge contemporary in many people's minds, the Nighthawk had hit the quarter-century mark. At a discreet "Silver Stealth" ceremony at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico this week, some of the people who built, serviced and flew the plane marked the end of its 25-year career.
Much of the F-117A's innermost workings remain top-secret but it was outstripped by newer, even more space-age technology. All that remained was its public image. Its successor, the F-22 Raptor, appeared on the last day of the Canadian International Air Show in Toronto in September, its first foray outside the United States. The Raptor looks more like a conventional jet than the F-117A and didn't cause much excitement, other than among hard-core aviation buffs. When the Nighthawk made its Toronto debut in 1993, as it whispered over Ontario Place the crowd went crazy, pointing and yelling, "Stealth! Stealth!"
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: f117; f117a; history; military; nighthawk; stealthfighter; stealthjet
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To: faq
Sorry about that. Newbie poster.
Moo moo.
61
posted on
11/02/2006 6:18:04 PM PST
by
NucSubs
(Islam delenda est.)
To: Babu
It's Urdu that snuck in thereIf it snuck in, it's OK. But if it sneaked in, I would be concerned.
62
posted on
11/02/2006 6:18:47 PM PST
by
Right Wing Assault
("..this administration is planning a 'Right Wing Assault' on values and ideals.." - John Kerry)
To: Southack
"...all of whom can afford to maintain them if desired/"
Even for the countries you list, better capability exists (and is in use) than is represented by the F-117.
63
posted on
11/02/2006 6:18:50 PM PST
by
Rokke
To: COEXERJ145
We don't have any mothballed SSBNs? Ugh. Didn't we have almost twice as many as we have now during the Reagan era? Were they victims of the arms reduction treaties?
To: Question_Assumptions
Were they victims of the arms reduction treaties? Yep.
65
posted on
11/02/2006 6:23:06 PM PST
by
COEXERJ145
(Free Republic is Currently Suffering a Pandemic of “Bush Derangement Syndrome.”)
To: COEXERJ145
That's pretty sad. The second-strike capability we get from our SSBNs is probably one of the best investment of military dollars we have.
To: dead
Everybody's older than their grandchild! Isn't there some kind of Woody Allen loophole to that rule?
67
posted on
11/02/2006 6:25:14 PM PST
by
Yossarian
(Everyday, somewhere on the globe, somebody is pushing the frontier of stupidity.)
To: Question_Assumptions
Most of the retired SSBN's were close to the end of their service life anyway so I doubt that many would still be in service today even if the Soviet Union still existed. We'd just have more Ohio Class boats.
68
posted on
11/02/2006 6:26:50 PM PST
by
COEXERJ145
(Free Republic is Currently Suffering a Pandemic of “Bush Derangement Syndrome.”)
To: Southack
We wont be giving the F-117 to anyone. Too many little secrets in there that we wont trust to even Israel. Aint gonna happen.
These airframes will be cut into very small pieces.
69
posted on
11/02/2006 6:43:59 PM PST
by
Pukin Dog
(Being a Liberal is just a coping mechanism for low self esteem and/or bad parenting.)
To: Hillarys Gate Cult
It was revealed somewhat earlier by President Carter in a campaign speech as a look at what great things the Democrats are doing for national defense ploy. It made the Pentagon angry as it could have been kept secret much longer.
Interesting. Thanks for the ping.
To: Paleo Conservative
I guess the Air force will keep a few handy in mothball storage ( just like the F-14 Tomcat ) just in case it's needed,,, but,, the whole fleet is retired.
To: FreedomProtector
" or our own better aircraft " ....... let's hope that this is the case.
To: BurbankKarl
Yes... and I think, that was the only time it was shot down by any enemy, and yes, most likely, the Russians got a hold of it, and researched it, but, the US official response was, that we already have 3 rd and 4 th generation stealth technology.
The US knows that the F-117 and the B-2 can be detected under certain conditions by the Russians.... I heard that it can be detected not by radar, but, the radar voids..
To: Hillarys Gate Cult
One can only imagine what kind of plane the F-14 Tomcat would have been if they used todays technology back in the early 70s ( They had a special program on it on Modern Marvels last night ).
But, then again, there are much better planes and drones under wraps that we don't know of.
To: Southack
The Pentagon started development on the F-22 back in the mid 80s, and even though it is just starting it's service life, as far as the tech development labs are concerned, it's old technology, the F-22's technology is fast approaching 20 years already.
To: Prophet in the wilderness
that we already have 3 rd and 4 th generation stealth technology [that we do not know and are higher rank]
"He who comes after me has a higher rank than I"
Make straight the flight path....
"but among you stands One whom you do not know."
descending out of heaven
I'm having too much fun with your alter-ego login name : )
To: FreedomProtector
If you read in Corinthians, it says, that those who do not have the spirit of Christ, will never know or understand God's will or God's knowledge.
To: Right Wing Assault
You can achieve the proper pronunciation only immediately after stabbing yourself in the chest.
78
posted on
11/02/2006 9:16:51 PM PST
by
Erasmus
(I invited Benoit Mandelbrot to the Shoreline Grill, but he never got there.)
To: NucSubs
["Sorry, we thought you were invisible"]
Oh well, so goes another story in military history.
To: Prophet in the wilderness
I had heard the F117 HAD to travel in company with a EF-111 jammer platform, as the -117 stuck out like a sore thumb on low band radar.....
Anyway, the -22 is faster, carries more weapons and so on.
80
posted on
11/02/2006 9:37:17 PM PST
by
ASOC
(The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
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