F-117 Stealth Fighters

“Retired” F-117 Stealth Fighters Seen Flying Over Nevada

Ten years after retirement, at least two Nighthawks are still flying missions doing who knows what.

By Kyle Mizokami

 GETTY IMAGESETHAN MILLER

The F-117 Nighthawk, the first purpose-built stealth aircraft to enter combat, was retired in 2008 after a relatively short but eventful flying career. Aviation enthusiasts still catch glimpses of the “retired” jet flying from time to time. The latest sighting took place last week in the skies over Nevada, prompting the question: What are they doing?


According to the YouTube video description, the video was taken on July 26, 2018 at the top secret Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. The video shows two F-117As, callsigns NIGHT 17 and NIGHT 19, taxing on the runway then flying low over the nearby hills.

The F-117A was retired in 2008, though a handful of planes apparently fly with Lockheed Martin pilots. There are a number of theories as to what the planes are doing. One explanation is that one of the planes is unmanned. A similar sighting in 2016 prompted observers to note one of the aircraft has a mysterious bulge behind the cockpit that observers think could be some kind of antenna.


The stealth fighters also could be involved in tests of new sensors designed to pick up stealth aircraft, such as the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 or Chinese Chengdu J-20. The F-117s do seem to conduct several low altitude passes over the ground, possibly in direct view of a ground-based radar or infrared sensor. Alternately, they could be testing upgrades for the F-22 Raptor or F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The F-117’s combat-ready days are over. The aircraft are being slowly taken out of flying condition and made permanently unserviceable, suitable only for gate guardian duty or museums. Still, whatever these F-117s are doing at the Tonopah Test Range however is highly classified, cutting-edge stuff.