Stealth bomber

A stealth bomber is an aircraft utilizing advanced technology that makes it invisible, or stealth, on radar and other electronic detection systems. The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk was the world's first operational aircraft based entirely on stealth technology. It was designed in the late 1970s by the highly creative "Skunk Works" engineering team at Lockheed, and first manufactured in 1981. It is flown exclusively by United States Air Force.

Its "F-" label, usually reserved for fighters, may be for political purposes. The F-117A is not a fighter aircraft but is a "ground-attack" aircraft designed for precision bombing. However, the "F-" label is more politically popular and also may attract better pilots.

The F-117A has been surpassed by a more effective design, the F-22 Raptor, and the Air Force plans to retire F-117 from October 2006 to 2008. No new pilots will be trained on that aircraft afterwards.

The bomber depicted here is a B-2 spirit, and largly unrelated to the above text.