Goodbye to the Nighthawk

I had an old pair of shoes that I recently got rid of and replaced with a newer pair. I think most everyone has gone through that phase where they are torn between keeping the old pair since they are so well broken-in and comfy but bothered by the fact that the shoe itself is starting to fall apart. It isn't always an easy decision but sometimes, when you want the new shoe the easiest thing to do is just to get rid of the old shoes so that you have all the motivation you need to get the new ones. Afterall, "no shirt, no shoes, no service" right?

So what do shoes have to do with a blog that appears to be about the impending retirement of the Air Forces premier stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk? Well simply that the retirement of the program is coming faster than anticipated in order to speed the introduction of the stealthier (and more modern) F-22 Raptor into the arsenal. Now for a lot of people, they didn't know the Stealth existed until it became the 'wonder weapon' of the Gulf War back in 1991. What most people didn't know until then was that the fighter had actually been flying since 1981 and had already completed a number of operations since then. I call them operations more because like a surgeon, the Nighthawk was built to allow the Air Force the capability of entering enemy airspace undetected and unleash precision bombs on the target and escape before anyone even knew it was there.

Contrary to what many people assumed when they heard 'invisible jet' it wasn't literally invisible but invisible to radar. The material that covered the jet was built from radar absorbing material and the plane was designed with oddly shaped angles in order to reduce the radar signature of the plane. In this way, the jet was invisible to most of the anti-aircraft weapons that were being used around the world. Though there were some incidents involving the jet, including seven which crashed, the Nighthawk lived up to expectations and has served the country well. It is one of the few jets that has not been sold to ally nations and will likely not be sold. And though the plane is being retired, like the SR-71 Blackbird, it is being kept 'on tap' in case it is needed again.

Now as a proponent of air power and air development, I think it's a wise thing that the Air Force is making efforts to reduce the fleet and speed the transition to a newer plane however many raise the question comes in whether such a weapon is truly needed anymore. Most planes that are in the air arsenal of the country were developed to fight a nation such as the former Soviet Union. These days, as is evident in Afghanistan and Iraq, the enemy is not to be found in planes but hiding in holes and fortified areas that are very difficult to completely eliminate no matter how precise the dropped munitions may be. Many wonder whether more money should be spent on these newer stealth planes versus spending the money on the development for better protection for our ground forces. I think the Russians are providing a reason for the renewed push for a modernized air force.

In recent days the Russian Air Force has begun increasing long range flights of bombers and running similar exercises to those held during the height of the cold war. Recently American aircraft carriers in the Pacific have been overflown by Russian planes which have violated Japanese airspace to do it. This isn't necessarily an indication that the Soviets are getting back into the Cold War but it is certainly a sign that there is at least some need to continue maintaining a modernized Air Force. While I'm hopeful that a renewed Cold War doesn't come to pass, I'm glad that the Air Force is seeking to keep pace with development and is seeking to continue operating the best equipment meant to keep our nation safe.