Key Points and Summary – Despite being officially retired for nearly two decades, the iconic F-117 Nighthawk is still actively flying for the U.S. Air Force under a new 10-year maintenance contract.
-A small fleet of the pioneering stealth jets now serves as a unique and valuable training asset. In exercises, they act as “red air” adversaries simulating enemy 5th-generation fighters and as surrogates for low-observable cruise missiles.
F-117 Still Looks Amazing National Security Journal Photo. All Rights Reserved.
F-117 Nighthawk in the Air Force Museum. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
-The F-117 also functions as a low-cost testbed for developing new stealth coatings and sensors, proving its continued relevance long after its official retirement from combat service.
The F-117 Nighthawk Has a New Enemy: Father Time
Despite being officially retired for nearly two decades, the iconic F-117 Nighthawk is still actively flying for the U.S. Air Force under a new 10-year maintenance contract.
A small fleet of the pioneering stealth jets now serves as a unique and valuable training asset. In exercises, they act as “red air” adversaries simulating enemy 5th-generation fighters and as surrogates for low-observable cruise missiles.
The F-117 also functions as a low-cost testbed for developing new stealth coatings and sensors, proving its continued relevance long after its official retirement from combat service.
How the U.S. Air Force Still Uses the F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk may be officially retired, but this single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft—the first operational stealth combat aircraft—is still in use by the U.S. Air Force.
As noted by Caleb Larsen in this outlet, the Air Force Test Center issued a Request for Information soliciting proposals from contractors to develop a viable logistics and maintenance plan for the aircraft. The document specified that ten years of maintenance would begin in 2024, with the purpose of keeping the remaining F-117As airworthy.
And, following civilian reports of sightings over the last year, the Air Force has publicly acknowledged that a limited number of these iconic aircraft remain operational for the purpose of training and testing.
How the Nighthawk Is Used in Training
The F-117 is today deployed as a stealth adversary in training exercises, where it simulates both enemy fifth-generation fighters and low-observable cruise missiles. Using the Nighthawk in this role provided U.S. forces with an opportunity to practice detection and interception against stealth threats in a controlled environment.
Using the Nighthawk for this purpose makes sense; developing an entirely new aircraft for training purposes would make little sense, as would using a more modern B-2 Spirit in its place.
Speaking in September 2021, the head of the Air National Guard, Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Loh, revealed exactly how the Nighthawk was used as a surrogate for enemy stealth jets and cruise missiles. Responding to questions from reporters, Loh explained, “When you look at 117s that come and land and do that stuff, they’re a stealth platform, right? Early days of stealth, but they’re still a stealthy platform.”
“So they can simulate things out there like cruise missiles that we would actually face,” he said. “So are they a perfect platform for a cruise missile defense exercise? Absolutely.”
The F-117 is an iconic asset for the U.S. Air Force, but the decision to use it in training is not based on sentimentality. Nor is it an effort to simply keep a piece of history alive. If that were the intention, all remaining aircraft could have easily been moved into museums across the United States by now. The reality is that using the F-117 simply makes sense. It is a lower-risk and lower-cost option than using assets like the F-22, allowing experimentation without jeopardizing advanced aircraft.
Additionally, the U.S. Air Force knows that it’s safe – and can be used to test all manner of stealth-related technology, from radar-absorbent coatings, sensors, and possibly autonomous systems.
And nearly two decades after its retirement, the F-117 continues to prove itself as a vital asset for the U.S. Air Force – helping pilots train against tomorrow’s threats and refine new technologies expected to be installed on more modern stealth aircraft.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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