Origins and Context
Project SENIOR TREND began in 1978 as a classified Lockheed Skunk Works program to develop an operational stealth fighter.1 The program built upon stealth technology breakthroughs from Project HAVE BLUE to create a combat-capable aircraft.2
Program Structure
The program operated under extreme secrecy at the Tonopah Test Range Airport in Nevada.3 Development incorporated faceted stealth shaping, radar-absorbent materials, and specialized coatings to achieve an extremely low radar cross-section.4
Key Developments
- First flight occurred in June 1981 under strict security measures
- The aircraft received the designation F-117 in 1981 to maintain operational security
- Production of 59 operational F-117A aircraft between 1981 and 1990
- Development of specialized maintenance procedures and facilities
- Creation of unique pilot training programs focused on nighttime operations
Legacy and Impact
The F-117 Nighthawk revolutionized air warfare by demonstrating the operational effectiveness of stealth technology.5 The aircraft's combat debut in Operation Just Cause and extensive use in Operation Desert Storm validated stealth's military value.6
References
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"Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed" by Ben Rich, 1994 ↩
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"F-117 Stealth Fighter Units of Operation Desert Storm" by Warren Thompson, Osprey Publishing, 2007 ↩
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"Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk: An Illustrated History of the Stealth Fighter" by Bill Holder and Mike Wallace, 2000 ↩
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"F-117A Stealth Fighter" by David Donald, AIRtime Publishing, 1999 ↩
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"From HAVE BLUE to F-117: The Evolution of Stealth Fighter Technology" by Paul F. Crickmore, 2003 ↩
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Department of Defense, "Conduct of the Persian Gulf War: Final Report to Congress", April 1992 ↩