Wing Warriors

F-117:

The Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft to be designed around stealth technology, and its test flight happened in 1981. The airplane was shrouded in secrecy until it was revealed to the public in 1988. Widely publicized for its role in the Persian Gulf War of 1991, it was commonly referred to as the “Stealth Fighter,” although it was strictly an attack aircraft. The U.S. Air Force retired the F-117 in 2008, primarily due to the operational abilities of the F-22 Raptor.

B-2:

The B-2 Spirit, aka the “Stealth Bomber,” is an American heavy-penetration strategic bomber. Low, observable stealth technology was implemented for penetrating dense antiaircraft defenses. It is a flying-wing design with a crew of two. Entering service in 1997, it was the second aircraft designed to have advanced stealth technology. In January 2017, two B-2s attacked an ISIS training camp and together reportedly dropped 108 500-pound precision JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bombs on the area.

X-47:

The X-47B is a tailless, jet-powered, blended-wing-body unmanned combat aerial vehicle capable of semi-autonomous operation and aerial refueling. The X-47B first flew in 2011 and, as of 2015, has successfully performed a series of land- and carrier-based demonstrations. In August 2014, the U.S. Navy announced that it had integrated the X-47B into carrier operations alongside manned aircraft, and by May 2015, the aircraft’s primary test program was declared complete.