F-117A Nighthawk

F-117A Nighthawk
Originally uploaded by CokeeOrg

The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is a stealth ground attack aircraft operated solely by the United States Air Force. As a product of the Lockheed Have Blue stealth prototype program, it became the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology.

The F-117A was widely publicized during the Gulf War. The Air Force has been trying to retire the F-117, due mainly to the deployment of the more effective F-22 Raptor. The Air Force is planning to retire the F-117 from October 2006 to 2008, and no new pilots will be trained to fly the plane.