16 years after being decommissioned, is Nighthawk still flying?.

The F-117 Nighthawk was, at its introduction, a revolutionary aircraft, one of the first in the world to incorporate stealth features. However, with the arrival of the F-22 Raptor, the F-117 became redundant and was retired from service. Or so it seemed. Despite the official retirement of the Nighthawk from active service in 2007, the U.S. Air Force still regularly operates a fleet of about forty-five F-117s.
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F117 during air show and presentation  (Picture source: Lockheed-martin)

The F-117 Nighthawk was, at its introduction, a revolutionary aircraft, one of the first in the world to incorporate stealth features. However, with the arrival of the F-22 Raptor, the F-117 became redundant and was retired from service. Or so it seemed. Despite the official retirement of the Nighthawk from active service in 2007, the U.S. Air Force still regularly operates a fleet of about forty-five F-117s.

Designed by Lockheed Martin, the F-117 Nighthawk first took flight in 1981 and was officially commissioned into the U.S. Air Force in 1983. This aircraft was developed in secret under Project "Have Blue," aiming to utilize stealth technology to reduce radar detection, a revolutionary initiative at the time.

The F-117 was primarily used in precision ground attack missions, capitalizing on its ability to penetrate densely defended airspaces undetected. Its most famous missions include operations during the Gulf War in 1991, where it performed surgical strikes against strategic targets in Iraq. The Nighthawk was also used during the conflict in Kosovo in 1999, marking history with its ability to operate in high-risk environments. However, despite its advanced technology, an F-117 was shot down by a Serbian missile in 1999, revealing some vulnerabilities of the aircraft against modern defense systems. This loss served as a lesson for future stealth aircraft developments. The F-117 was officially retired from service in 2008, although some aircraft continued to fly for testing and training missions beyond this date.

F-117 nighthawk before  being demcomissioned (Picture Source : Reddit )

Why would the Air Force continue to fly an aircraft that has been retired from service?

The Air Force has confirmed its intention to extend the operations of the F-117 until 2034, meaning the aircraft will be in service for 26 years after its official retirement. Obviously, such an extension would be unorthodox, but it is not without good reasons.

A portion of the remaining F-117A fleet, piloted by Air Force test pilots, has been very actively used in recent years for research and development, testing and evaluation, and training. This has included using the jets as 'red air' aggressors and as substitutes for stealth cruise missiles in large-scale exercises.

The F-117 still has value for training. As an attack aircraft, the F-117 can teach pilots to engage with low-visibility aircraft. It can be used as a cruise missile surrogate in cruise missile training. "Despite its age, [the F-117] still offers significant advantages when used in these roles, given that its radar, infrared, and other signature profiles are likely to be extremely different from what pilots and air defense systems are accustomed to encountering in these contexts," according to The War Zone.

Research and development could be the main argument for retaining the F-117. Thanks to the stealth features of the Nighthawk, the aircraft can be used as a control variable to test new low-observability coatings and technologies. It can also be used as a control in the development of defensive sensors designed to detect stealth aircraft.

The F-117 might even play a role in the development of new aircraft. Studying the Nighthawk could help developers integrate stealth features into upcoming aircraft, perhaps including the sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance fighter.

The F-117 will not fly forever. The Air Force should dispose of its F-117 fleet at a rate of two to three jets per year. It is not exactly clear how many aircraft the Air Force still flies today. In 2019, the service stated that fifty-one F-117s were still flying, but a dozen would be transferred to museums in 2020. All remaining Nighthawks fly and are stored at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada.