Air Force F-117 Stealth Fighter Retires - F-22 F-35 Replace

[tipoomaster]

Performance aside, the 117 was so much more badass looking.

[90magor]

russians can shoot american F 117 by S 400 lol!!!! it isnt stealth plane not for russians hahahaha

[Bundashit]

The F-117 was a great scare tactic. It never had the chance to show it's true capability. All in all, it was a huge waste of money, as it only got to do what any non stealth plane could have done.

[aerospacenews]

@Bundashit - Clearly you are either biased or uninformed. It most definitely performed missions unique to stealth platforms with loss rates that reflected that capability.

[Huntinbeast14]

The USAF doesn't tell you about the F-117s fighter abilities!(TOP SECRET)

[mrmakemakkara]

pilot is pilot !!!!!!

[strajder63]

I own a part of the f117, using a material similar to rubber, no rubber, but it looks like rubber. but all in vain when we shot it down, the earth is not as invisible as you say xD

[ResiusOnline]

@strajder63

What? The F-117 that was shot down was due to the pilot leaving the bomb bay open.

It would never have been shot down if the pilot hadn't had done that.

And the F-117 uses outdated stealth technology- the F-22 and B-2 are much better.

[outkastdashit]

i did security on these damn planes while stationed at Holloman AFB.  49th SFS

[babyturtlex]

i didnt know it was that old

[nem1]

the F-35 isnt fully stealth. it does have a substantially reduced radar signiature, but it isnt complete stealth

[hound4680]

nothing is completely stealth

[6308281]

in reality it will mothballed for safe keeping - in case we need to use again - the one that was shot down was pure luck after all this plane flew thousands of sorties over several operations - and one loss - what plane that has ever enter a war zone and has that record -

[liamsniperman1996]

hey UNDED02 dont say things if your not sure there true

[fireshao30]

Lol u Russian bootlickers.... Sigh so if 1 f-117 is shot down just by a lucky shot u just start saying omg it got shot down. But seriously 1 plane shot down in 30 years is a good record considering the USA goes to war most of the time.

[daimyo2]

dont be so excited about warfare kid ;)

[hp2662]

You meanover 40 years,this plane was our spy plane in Vietnam!

[GunneruK91]

The F-22 & F-35 are stealth fighters

[Shedhead1990]

Go Holloman!!! WOOHOO! NOT!!!!

[joemon93]

I think that they called it a stealth fighter to mabye scare russia

[nexus2xl]

It (F117) was retired because it kept getting shot down.

The B2 bomber isn't even supersonic and it will be retired for the same reason.

[bcardamone]

"kept getting shot down?" Only one f-117 was shot down in it's 30 years of service.

[undead02]

but F-22,F-35 not stealth fighter :(

[SonarWavePulse]

yeah... the f-22 is an air dominance vehicle, and the f-35 a joint strike fighter but there both stealth !

[BlackbirdSpecOps]

Another misinformed pimple head. Quit throwing crap out there without facts.

[pmunsa91]

why do people insist in calling the f-117 a fighter plane it´s a bomber of attack aircraft it suck´s fighting other planes

[aerospacenews]

The USAF gave it the F-117 designation - not "people." I do agree, the F- is misleading but you can blame the US DoD for that. It was an attack /strike aircraft, never a fighter.

[cablebeach1]

The reason they called it a fighter it is because it operates like a FIGHTER not a bomber. A bomber pilot would be like this if he went in the F-117 "WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!!!"

[aerospacenews]

Operates like a fighter? As in air-to-air combat, the primary role of a fighter? It was a strike / attack aircraft, not a fighter - but there is a precedent - the F-111 never did air-to-air combat either. So go figure.

[cablebeach1]

I'm saying that the F-117 has the fly-by-wire system of the F-16. You don't put a bomber pilot inside a plane with the controls of a fighter. The USAF said that themselves.

[aerospacenews]

What does the fly by wire system have to do with this thread? And to your 2nd point, sure you do. The B-2 has a stick, not a yoke, which is fighter-like, instead of the traditional yoke in a bomber. Same goes, I think, for the C-17 - no yoke - a stick - very fighter-like, but the C-17 is a transport.

[drumstickicecream]

It has the F designation because it handles like a fighter and can pull 7 G's. Bomber pilots are not trained as well to withstand G's as well as fighter pilots.

[Trek001]

it had an "F" designation, because the fighter pilots where not happy about flying a bomber

[Gravyhed]

No....it was because of the treaty with the ussr, that we could not produce any more bombers, just fighters due to some parameters of the salt II treatys.

[bestamerica]

i like america F-117 stealth jetfighter is better plane than ussr russia..

ussr russia do not know how

[gyngilbert]

Nós do Brasil damos nossos parabéns aos nossos vizinhos os EUA!;)

Somos muito gratos!

Resta saber se vcs nos protegerão dos iraquianos!

ótimo avião esse heim!

[ChesterDoraemon]

it's been retired because all the secrets have been picked up by the chinese & the russians over 10 years ago lol. That aircraft is now nothing more than a flying pig.

[Capt777harris]

Not wholly true. Better radar technology and processing, as well as eased borders make this plane mildly obsolete. It was developed specifically as a quick counter punch to a Russian invasion of Europe. But now that the Warsaw Pact is all but gone, there's no need for it. 

The US can finally draw down its forces, and focus on the next generation of air superiority.

It helps to know what you're talking about before posting.

Maybe you ought go practice some Tai Chi.

[dc5636]

in most of the videos about american fighters theres alot of discussion about whos the best and bla bla bla..for some reason dnt see it here :D

F117 ROCKS!!!!!

[SporeIsNr1]

You got 122 F-22 and it has been noted somewere (cant find it) that the F-22 will never be USA main fighter due to the pricetag. But the F-35 will take the role as ur main fighter along with F-15/16

[Beliserius1]

F-22 is the air supremacy fighter

F-35 is a multi-role bomber, capable of dogfighting.

Its price is high is mainly due to the low amount of demand.

When need be arrives, such as a war against a modernized country/army, more raptors would be called into production, thus decreasing the price.

[bestamerica]

price is nothing to do

[opel47]

i remember laying in my pool in beaver county PA, when the air show was just over the hill and the stealth bomber was set to arrive. we knew it would be about 1 in the aft. and when i heard the sound that thing made and then it came up over the hill as black as night and lower than any plane id ever seen, i knew right then that america DID NOT PLAY. that was the safest ive ever felt, and it seemed like the air show was just one plane, just for us. GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS TO THIS DAY.

[Ballinorest]

Reading that post gave me goosebumps! I can't imagine how you must of felt.

[gyngilbert]

Máquina assustadora!

[RyanBrickForce]

shame it had to retire!... just like the space shuttle in 2010

[nchayfarmer]

I live in North Carolina and we where farming in a little place called Turkey North Carolina and it was a bit after dark I saw 4 sets of mabey 2 or 3 lights flying in formation I looked up and saw triangle shapes at that one simple time chills went up my back and I told my bossman Im Proud To Be American that I am the best part was they where headin back to base i think there was a troop movement saw some big cargo planes the next day Im a proud American and support the war

[ra7n7d63]

i saw the A-10s and the AC-130s fly out over California the day the war started. we have a damned good air force and its a shame that we're retiring such a big part of it. (F-14s and F-117s)

[rikardonunes13]

USA is the best nation of world.

My country is portugal and is suck.

[josephkennith]

portugal DOES NOT SUCK you are modernizing your milatery dude chin up.

[Dono233]

Those things are scary looking living in the USA is great

[cablebeach1]

F-22 is to replace the F-16 and F-15 because of the SAM's of the Russians so they built the F-22 to have longer ranges. The F-35 is to replace the Harrier for Vertical Takeoff...

[Mistah2]

god dam bean counters , sigh... my favorite plane gone.

[medion911ddd]

F22 will likely repllace a small part of the F15, but also the F15 will remain for several years

[overdrive0472]

i doubt that they r retiring this plane they r just telling us that because they want to demolish other countrys that dont know we have these

[RoidinRichie]

wow if that's what you really think then you're an idiot

[MarkoResavac]

Srbija - Budjanovci

SORRY WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS INVISIBLE

[bmxingking2002]

I was actually a crew chief (mechanic) on this jet. This was an awesome aircraft to be around and very awesome to see it in the sunny skies over new mexico. I was assigned to 2 of the aircraft that we had. An awesome jet and it was an honor crewing this jet and being apart of Air Force history launching out the last four jets and watching them/filming them taking off on their way.

[mmjjcc9222]

My uncle flew the F-117 i remember seeing him go next to the aircraft and getting in, it was realy cool and he all was prayed that he wouldn't get hit by a missle. He is such a great uncle! :)

[jetfire2004]

No I loved those jet's theve always been my favorite, And they retired it I wanted to fly one Well it's been an awsome plane ever sense it was created thanks so much air force for such a AWSOME!!! plane!!!

[badger5079]

Hey, no problem kid. Your Dad's taxes payed for a part of it.

[mondspeed]

It has always been my dream to see those awesome jets of the USAF. I had only seen an F-16 when it landed here due to technical problems and an F-4 Phantom when I was a kid. I really want to see the F-22 and F-35

[autorack1]

it is really sad it is going and the bad thing is i never got to see it fly

[leonscottkennedyre4]

go to the mirimar airshow october 4-5 to see it

[RLewisH]

AWESOME I LIVE IN SAN DIEGO!!!!!!

[SWASRFA007]

some people say f117 looks ugly

but i love how it looks

[aslkdrjd]

me too. i live in germany, so no chance to see the great planes of the us-airforce.