The F-117A Nighthawk, the world's first operational stealth combat jet, was officially retired in 2008. Although the plane is occasionally sighted in the skies over Nevada and elsewhere, the F-117A is now poised to fade away for good. The fleet of what were once the most advanced jets in the world is set to be grounded permanently.

The F-117A Nighthawk was developed in the early 1980s after extensive research and development into the new field, of "stealth," or making aircraft difficult to detect by radar. The Air Force and Lockheed designed, manufactured, and flew 59 Nighthawks in total secrecy. The stealth "fighter," which was actually a high-altitude bomber, was meant to penetrate advanced Soviet air defenses and destroy high-value targets with laser-guided bombs.

The F-117A first flew in Operation Just Cause, the Invasion of Panama, in 1989, dropping two 2,000 pound bombs on the Panamanian Defense Forces in the opening minutes of the invasion. Later the planes flew against Iraq in 1991, against Yugoslavia in 1999, Afghanistan in 2001, and over Iraq again in 2003.

The Nighthawk fleet was sent into retirement in 2008, largely due to the fielding of bomb-carrying F-22A Raptors. The planes were stored in "flyable storage" condition, meaning they could be rapidly reassembled and brought back to the flight line if necessary. Some Nighthawks, reportedly flown by Lockheed pilots, have been sighted flying over Nevada as late as 2016 . Here's the video:

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Now, according to Military.com , the planes are finally flying into the sunset. This year's defense budget law stipulates that the Air Force must send one Nighthawk in 2017 to be demilitarized—that is, have their weapons systems and anything classified professionally stripped out. After that, four Nighthawks must be de-milled until the entire fleet is gone. The entire process will take nearly fifteen years.

Where does a de-milled Nighthawk go? Theoretically, demilitarized equipment can go to other federal agencies, or even local law enforcement under the infamous 1033 program . What sheriff's office wouldn't want its own stealth fighter? In all seriousness though, the Pentagon is unlikely to authorize transfer to any non-Department of Defense agency. Most if not all of the Nighthawks will likely end up as "Gate Guardians" mounted on pedestals, greeting people at military bases or welcoming visitors to aviation museums across the country.

Read more at Military.com

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