The Air Force may not have to maintain F-117s for possible recall much longer. The House Armed Services Committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act repeals a 2007 provision that required certain F-117s “be maintained in a condition that would allow recall of those aircraft to future service,” according to a committee report on the legislation (Caution, large-sized file). The F-117, the Air Force’s first stealth fighter, was retired in April 2008, and the 410th Flight Test Squadron, which had tested F-117As since 1980, was inactivated on Aug. 1, 2008. Most of the 50-plus airframe fleet currently resides in climate-controlled hangars at the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, and a couple of the aircraft are flown periodically to practice getting them flightworthy again. It’s not clear if the Black Jets will move finally to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., but if the decision is made to park the aircraft in the open, it won’t be possible to bring them back to service, because their stealth coatings would rapidly deteriorate in the heat and sun. (See also Fade to Black from the October 2006 issue of Air Force Magazine.)
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
