The Gulf War Arrival of Stealth – How Stealthy Was the F-117 Night Hawk?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) The secretive and mysterious stealthy F-117 Night Hawk exploded onto the scene during the Gulf War in 1991, introducing the world to a previously unparalleled level of innovation and elusive, secret, yet penetrating air attack.

It was the advent and combat arrival of stealth technology, and the angular-looking aircraft was entirely different from anything seen before in the realm of attack planes.

While famous for its performance during the war against Iraqi air defenses, assessments in more recent years have questioned the true extent to which the aircraft was “stealthy.”

Stealth technology has evolved in paradigm-changing ways since the days of the Gulf War, and the F-117 Night Hawk has earned a distinguished place in the annals of air-war history.

Yet, subsequent analysis of its performance and stealth properties has been the subject of much inquiry and debate.

Smithsonian Magazine covered the issue as far back as 2008, explaining that the aircraft allure or image of “invincibility” was shattered in 1999 when an F-117 was shot down over Serbia in 1999.