The US Air Force officially retired the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk amid huge fanfare in 2008. Since then a few fleeting glimpses have shown that the stealth fighter has remained active, but with very little detail... until now! THE MILITARY OPERATING areas of southern California and Nevada are packed with daily activity thanks to the array of bases in the region and units that visit for training. Ever since the US Air Force formally retired the F-117 Nighthawk in 2008, a few long-distance glimpses of the stealth fighters airborne in this area alluded to continued operations by the type. A video from July 2010 revealed a close-quarters encounter with an F-117 near the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), while subsequent, distant imagery from outside the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) airfield confirmed that the Nighthawk had carried on flying there. All the while, the USAF remained silent on the stealth fighter's new era of clandestine activities.
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