Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

The F-117 Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft built around stealth as its defining feature. Developed in secrecy by Lockheed’s Skunk Works, it used faceted surfaces and radar-absorbing techniques to reduce detection, prioritising survivability against radar-guided air defences over traditional fighter performance.

Despite its “F” designation, the F-117 was a precision attack aircraft rather than a dogfighter. Its public debut after years of secrecy made it look almost alien, and its combat use in Panama, the Gulf War and later conflicts helped shift military aviation toward low observability as a central design principle.