Stealth Revolution: The F-117 Nighthawk and the Untold Story of the F-117N Seahawk

Unlock the secrets behind the F-117 Nighthawk, the world's pioneering stealth fighter, and its enigmatic naval counterpart, the F-117N Seahawk. Imagine an aircraft so advanced it could evade radar detection, transforming military aviation forever. We journey through the evolution of stealth technology, from Soviet physicist Pyotr Ufimtsev's groundbreaking theories to Lockheed's Skunk Works' revolutionary designs. Discover how the Nighthawk's unique features reduced radar, audio, and infrared signatures, and ponder the immense impact a carrier-capable version could have had on naval operations.

Next, we shift focus to the early days of the F-35 Lightning and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, uncovering why it ultimately outshined the F-117N Seahawk. The F-35's advanced stealth, sensor fusion, and multi-role capabilities made it the Navy's top choice. Get an insider's look at the technical and financial hurdles involved in adapting the F-117 for carrier use and speculate on the hypothetical outcomes had the F-117N been greenlit. Reflect on the strategic decisions that sidelined the F-117N in favor of the F-22 and F-35, shaping the future trajectory of military aviation.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Evolution of Stealth Aviation
• 16:51 The Abandoned F-117n Seahawk Concept

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Do you want to hear something that's going to blow your mind? The Air Force's F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter probably the most unusual looking airplane ever to fly was going to have a Navy version. Imagine this unusual looking plane landing on an aircraft carrier. Lockheed's Skunk Works the geniuses behind the Nighthawk secretly developed a concept for a navalized F-117. A proposal that remained under wraps until now. Meet the F-117N, codenamed Seahawk, a carrier-capable version of the world's first production stealth fighter. Getting the original Nighthawk to fly was a minor miracle. Now imagine taking things to the next level by introducing it to naval aviation. The Seahawk was going to be equipped with more powerful engines, a bigger weapons bay and even air-to-air capabilities. All of these upgrades would have made this version a true stealth fighter and attack aircraft, something the Navy would have greatly valued. Remember the Nighthawk shocked the world during Desert Storm. Imagine what a carrier-based version would have done. So buckle up for the ultimate cat shot. Today we're going to take a deep dive into the story of the Nighthawk how it could have been adapted to carrier operations, why the stealth Seahawk would have been a game changer for the Navy, what it could have meant for other aircraft programs, and where the journey for stealth all began. Pilotphotogcom began.

Speaker 1: 1:46

The development of the F-117A Nighthawk is a story of groundbreaking innovation, secrecy and bold risks, which led to a total revolution in military aviation. The Nighthawk's journey from an idea to an operational aircraft spanned over a decade and involved some of the most brilliant minds in aeronautical engineering. The roots of the F-117A Nighthawk can be traced back to the early 1970s, during the height of the Cold War and following the lessons learned from the Vietnam War. At the time, the United States was facing a significant challenge how to successfully penetrate the increasingly sophisticated and layered Soviet air defense systems. The answer lay in the concept of stealth, or the ability to reduce an aircraft's radar cross-section RCS to evade detection for as long as possible. The idea was that if an aircraft couldn't be detected on radar, it couldn't be fired upon by ground-based surface-to-air missiles or intercepted by enemy fighters. The problem was how do you create an aircraft that can absorb or, better yet, deflect radar waves? Surprisingly, the initial solution came from an unexpected source the Soviet Union. The theoretical foundation for stealth technology was laid down by Soviet physicist Pyotr Ufemtsev let me know if I said that correctly all the way back in 1964, whose paper entitled Method of Edge Wave in the Physical Theory of Diffraction showed that the strength of a radar return from an object is mainly not due to its size but rather its shape. So in theory, even a fighter or a large bomber could become virtually invisible to radar if shaped correctly to scatter radar signals. Although published in the Soviet Union, the paper went largely ignored. However, american engineers at the Lockheed Skunk Works, led by the legendary Kelly Johnson, recognized the potential of Vufemsev's theories.

Speaker 1: 3:56

In 1975, lockheed began work on a classified project known as HAVBLU, a technology demonstrator that would explore the feasibility of stealth aircraft. Havblu was an absolute, critical stepping stone in the development of what would become the F-117. The project aimed to create a small, stealthy aircraft that could evade radar detection. The design of HavBlue was radically different from traditional aircraft. Instead of sleek curved lines, the concept aircraft made use of faceted surfaces and sharp angles that were intended to deflect radar waves away from the source, minimizing the aircraft's RCS. Two HavBlue prototypes were built and flight testing began in 1977, the same year that Atari launched its 2600 console and the original Star Wars film was released. And you'll have to excuse the pun, but HavBlue was really light years ahead of its time. Despite many initial challenges, including stability and control issues. The HavBlue program went on to demonstrate that a low RCS aircraft was indeed achievable. The success of HAVBLU was the proof of concept that laid the groundwork for the development of a full-scale stealth attack aircraft.

Speaker 1: 5:18

In 1978, the US Air Force gave Lockheed the green light, along with a contract to develop the F-117A, which was initially known as the Senior Trend Project. Not only was the aircraft a cutting edge design, the whole idea of aerial stealth had to be kept ultra secret. As a result, the program was shrouded in high levels of secrecy, with only a select group of engineers and officials even aware of its existence. The goal was to create a stealth aircraft capable of delivering precision-guided munitions deep into enemy territory without being detected. Naturally, the design of the F-117 incorporated numerous lessons learned from HavBlue.

Speaker 1: 6:04

Its unique shape, which resembled a flying diamond, was optimized for low radar visibility. The aircraft's structure was composed of radar-absorbent materials or RAM coatings, and its exhaust was designed to minimize infrared signatures. You see, stealth isn't just about radar detection. Minimizing audio and visual detection was also prioritized. Even in the unlikely event that an aircraft would fly close to the Nighthawk, it could be visual identified or its heat signature could get locked onto when it came to sound detection. To reduce its audio signature, the engines purposely did not have afterburners and were restricted to subsonic speeds. This was done since breaking the sound barrier would produce a loud and obvious sonic boom, giving away the aircraft's presence and possibly even location. The lack of afterburner plumes would also reduce its heat and visual signature. Afterburner plumes would also reduce its heat and visual signature. To lower the jet's heat signature even further, the Nighthawk made use of specialized vents which would cool the exhaust somewhat before exiting the aircraft's fuselage and to keep the visual signature to a minimum. The aircraft was intended to operate over enemy territory at night. More on that later, once the aircraft's shape had been finalized and optimized to scatter radar waves.

Speaker 1: 7:27

Getting the airplane controllable and flying was a whole other challenge. The aircraft's faceted design, while effective for stealth, made it aerodynamically unstable. To address this, the engineers had to implement an advanced for its time, digital fly-by-wire system. This was still very new technology, first seen on the F-16 Fighting Falcon or Viper. This fly-by-wire system would operate passively in the background and would help keep the airplane flying with computer inputs to the control surfaces, making the jet fly and behave more like a normal airplane. This fly-by-wire system took extensive development time and cost, but was crucial in making the aircraft controllable and safe to fly.

Speaker 1: 8:12

Another challenge for the Nighthawk was fitting all of the advanced avionics and sensors into its compact airframe Remember this was late 70s, early 80s. Electronics Along with an advanced fly-by-wire computer. The F-117A had to be equipped with a sophisticated navigation and targeting system which would allow pilots to navigate to and strike their targets with pinpoint accuracy. This capability was essential for the aircraft's role in deep strike missions and despite being designated the F-117, the aircraft was really an attack aircraft. More on that in a moment. However, for now it was time to take the Nighthawk to the skies. The first F-117A prototype, designated YF-117A, made its maiden flight on June 18, 1981. Over the next two years, the aircraft underwent rigorous testing and evaluation. By 1983, the aircraft was declared operational and the first production aircraft were delivered to the 4450th Tactical Group at Tonopah Test Range in Nevada.

Speaker 1: 9:26

For obvious reasons, the operational deployment of the F-117 was kept highly secret. The aircraft were flown only at night to maintain their stealth advantage, which is how the aircraft earned its nickname Nighthawk. Pilots and ground crew were sworn to secrecy and the existence of the F-117A was not officially acknowledged by the US government until 1988, after it had been flying for seven. The F-117A made its combat debut during the US invasion of Panama in 1989. But it was during the Gulf War in 1991 that the aircraft truly demonstrated its capabilities to the world. During the Gulf War, the Night Hawk flew approximately 1,300 sorties and struck 1,600 high-value targets with remarkable precision. Its ability to evade detection and deliver ordnance with minimal collateral damage made it a game changer in modern warfare.

Speaker 1: 10:20

It's easy for us to forget now, but in early 1991 Iraqi airspace was fortified with some of the most advanced and integrated air defense systems in the world. The Nighthawk cut its teeth and proved its mettle by successfully navigating and neutralizing these formidable defenses, especially in the opening moments of the war. The success of the F-117A in combat fully validated the effectiveness of stealth technology. It proved that a small low RCS aircraft could penetrate heavily defended airspace and strike critical targets without being detected. This capability provided a significant strategic advantage and reshaped air combat doctrines all around the world. Suddenly, everyone wanted a stealth fighter, while also trying to figure out how to counter this new advantage.

Speaker 1: 11:09

While also trying to figure out how to counter this new advantage, the Nighthawk was so successful that in the 1990s, lockheed offered the Navy an ambitious proposal a carrier-based version of the stealth fighter dubbed the F-117N Seahawk. By adapting the Air Force jet to navalized carrier operations, lockheed envisioned a new era for carrier strike battlegroups the ability to take out coastal or even inland enemy air defenses with little or no warning. The F-117 faced its biggest challenge, and it wasn't from enemy ground missiles or even fighters. It was the biggest challenge of them all money. Remember that by the mid-90s, with the Cold War ending and defense spending being aggressively cut across the board to pay the quote peace dividend.

Speaker 1: 11:59

In this environment, the idea of building an all-new aircraft from the ground up seemed out of reach. But repurposing an existing design made a lot of sense. One quick note the Seahawk name is and was already in use by the SH-60 helicopter, an incredible aircraft in its own right, but for the purposes of this video, seahawk will refer to the F-117N, the proposed Navy version. So how would the stealth Seahawk fighter operate off of carriers? Let's take a deeper look at this concept.

Speaker 1: 12:31

Perhaps the most obvious feature of the Seahawk, as compared to the original Nighthawk, are its wings. Instead of a single delta-like wing found on the Nighthawk, the Seahawk uses a more conventional wing design, with main wings featuring flaps and ailerons, along with horizontal stabilizers. Like most Navy jets, the flaps can also serve as ailerons, so these are referred to as flapperons. Now, when it comes to the vertical stabilizers, the classic V-tail is retained in the Seahawk's design To produce the thrust necessary for carrier takeoffs. The F-117N would have used the GE F-414 engines, the same ones in use today by the Super Hornet, which can deliver 44,000 pounds of thrust To operate off of carriers. The Seahawk would have had to use afterburners for takeoffs, but likely would have restricted the burners for ingress to a target to maintain stealth. And while we're on the topic, the original Nighthawk used the modified GF404 engine. The topic the original Nighthawk used the modified GF-404 engine. The F-404 engines are used on the Legacy Hornets, so in some ways there's always been a Hornet connection to the Nighthawk.

Speaker 1: 13:41

Getting back to the Seahawk, along with more powerful engines, the weapons bay was to be expanded, which would raise the payload capacity to 10,000 pounds. This would allow the Seahawk to carry more precision weapons, possibly sub-modified air-to-surface missiles and just as interesting air-to-air weapons. As mentioned earlier, the original Nighthawk was an attack or bomber aircraft, despite its F designation in F-117. The Seahawk would have allowed for medium-range air-to-air AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles to be used and would have also had external hardpoints for non-stealthy missions. This would have made the Seahawk a great complement to the still-in-service F-14 Tomcat and would have given the Navy a first-strike option through stealth. Imagine Tomcats performing air superiority missions with stealthy Seahawks flying under the radar on their way to strike a target. Talk about an unstoppable force. At the end of the day, the concept of the F-117N Seahawk, a naval variant of the iconic F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter, remains one of the many intriguing what-ifs in the history of military aviation.

Speaker 1: 14:57

While the idea of a stealthy attack aircraft operating from an aircraft carrier holds significant appeal, ultimately several factors led to the decision to not pursue the F-117N. The biggest among these were Lockheed's concurrent commitments to developing the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning, two aircraft that promised to revolutionize air combat capabilities and although there were many budget hurdles during the Peace Dividend era, the idea of a joint strike fighter for the Navy, air Force and Marines made more sense at the time. Along with this, the F-117N faced significant technical and strategic challenges that would have taken too long to complete while the F-22 and F-35 were also in development. Here's how that went down. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, lockheed was heavily invested in the development of the F-22 Raptor, an advanced stealth fighter intended to ensure air superiority well into the 21st century. The F-22 program, initiated in response to the Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter or ATF. Competition was a high priority for both Lockheed and the US Department of Defense. The F-22 Raptor represented a significant leap in technology over the F-117A. It combined stealth with supercruise capability, advanced avionics and unparalleled maneuverability. More than just a bomb-dropping aircraft, the Raptor was designed to dominate the skies, providing the US Air Force with a decisive edge over potential adversaries. The extensive resources required for the F-22's development, including cutting-edge research in stealth technology, avionics and material science, left little room for additional projects like the F-117N.

Speaker 1: 16:51

At the same time, lockheed was also in the early stages of what would become the F-35 Lightning. The Joint Strike Fighter or JSF program, which eventually led to the F-35, aimed to develop a family of stealthy, multi-role aircraft that could be used by the Air Force, navy, marine Corps and the US's allies. The F-35 promised to bring advanced stealth technology, sensor fusion and multi-role versatility to a broader range of missions than the F-117 or even the F-22 could. The F-35 program was particularly relevant to the Navy because it included a carrier base variant, the F-35C. The aircraft was specifically designed to operate from aircraft carriers, addressing many of the challenges that a navalized F-117N would have faced, such as carrier takeoff and landing, corrosion resistance and, of course, robust landing gear.

Speaker 1: 17:47

Furthermore, developing a naval variant of the F-117A presented additional technical challenges. Again, while the F-117A's design was optimized for stealth, the aircraft was inherently unstable and the fly-by-wire system that was designed to have it operate out of conventional airports would have required significant modifications. On top of this, the airframe would have to be further strengthened for catapult launches and arrested landings and, as we have shown, an almost complete redesign of the aircraft itself to improve its aerodynamic stability and handling characteristics at low speeds required for carrier landings. Moreover, the F-117A was primarily a ground attack aircraft with very limited air-to-air capability. The Navy's operational needs required a more versatile platform capable of performing a wide range of missions, including air superiority, close air support and reconnaissance. The F-35 program was better suited to meet these needs, offering the multirole capabilities that the F-117N could not provide out of the box. Could the stealth Seahawk have been modified to add air-to-air capabilities? Of course, but now you're talking about even longer development times.

Speaker 1: 18:59

As you know, developing an advanced military aircraft is an enormously expensive and resource-intensive endeavor. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the US defense budget was already stretched by the costs associated with the F-22 and the emerging F-35 program. Prioritizing these programs, which promised significant technological and operational advantages, made financial sense. Diverting the resources needed to develop the F-117N would have diluted efforts and funding from these critical projects. So, in the end, the decision not to develop the F-117 Seahawk was driven by a combination of strategic, technical and, of course, financial considerations. Lockheed's focus on the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning, both of which offered advanced stealth capabilities and multi-role functionality, made the F-117 project less attractive. Role functionality made the F-117 project less attractive. In the end, the significant challenges of adapting the F-117A for carrier operations, coupled with the superior capabilities of the F-22 and F-35, ultimately led to the abandonment of the Seahawk concept, while the idea of a stealthy Seahawk carrier-based attack aircraft remains appealing even to this day.

Speaker 1: 20:18

The advances brought by the F-22 and F-35 programs have provided the US military with unmatched air combat capabilities that continue to shape the future of aviation. Still, we can always wonder what could have been, and I like to indulge in these ideas on this channel. Had the F-117N Seahawk been developed, it could have significantly influenced the trajectory of naval aviation, potentially even impacting the fate of the F-14 Tomcat. The F-117's introduction would have provided the US Navy with stealthy strike capability earlier than it did with the F-35. The stealth Seahawk could have complemented the F-14's long-range interception and air superiority roles. This complementary dynamic might have extended the operational relevance of the F-14 Tomcat, as the Navy would have had a powerful duo the F-117N for undetectable precision strikes and the F-14 for dominating the skies and defending the carrier battle group. With the F-117N handling stealthy attack missions. The Navy could have focused on upgrading the F-14's capabilities rather than seeking a completely new multi-role platform. This might have led to the continued production and development of the F-14, culminating in the Super Tomcat 21, a proposed modernized version featuring advanced avionics, improved engines and enhanced stealth features of its own. The Super Tomcat 21 would have provided a highly capable, versatile aircraft with long range to meet today's complex and diverse mission requirements, ensuring that the Tomcat remained a cornerstone of naval aviation well into the 21st century.

Speaker 1: 21:54

What do you think? Could the Seahawk have worked? What would have been a better nickname for it? Let me know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this what-if video for the Nighthawk, then subscribe and click the bell to get notified when my next video comes out. I'll be taking deep dives into aircraft that could have been some iconic aircraft that defined a generation and more. If you want to go above and beyond, then consider becoming a channel member or Patreon. You'll get early access to these videos and you'll help me keep making content like this one. You can also subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, hangar Flying with Tog, which takes a look at military aviation today while also looking back on aviation history. And finally, if you want to learn more about the proposed variants of the F-14 Tomcat, including my exclusive take on a fifth-generation version of the world's sexiest fighter, then check out this video Now you know.