* In the 1980s, the United States obtained a combat asset with capabilities not matched by weapons of any other country: the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter, an aircraft that could perform precision strikes on heavily-protected targets with little chance of being detected. In many cases, the defender's first alert of an attack by the Nighthawk was bombs going off. Along with this capability came an interesting design and an exotic history. This document provides a history and description of the F-117.
