The "halo" series is an amazing game made by bungie for Microsoft, but this isn't about the game, this is about the master chief, so I hope you like reading.
The story begins with a young lieutenant junior grade Jacob Keyes and Dr. Halsey, they are going to a planet called "reach" where according to their studies a child with the perfect genetic composition of a soldier (one of about 300) lives, they arrive, and come to his school, and find him to be a boy named john wresting other boys off of a hill, completely unrivalled in strength.
Dr. Halsey kidnaps him and they take him away to a more interesting part of reach, the single largest military base controlled by mankind.
they rid him, and all of the other children of their last names, dubbing john to be john-117, the train the children by day and let them strengthen by night, teach them nothing but war strategy, by the age of 16 they decided the children were ready for body modifications, they coated their bones with titanium A, give them brain enhancing chips, sight sharpening surgery, and adrenal enhancements giving them unparalleled speed and reflexes. Along with several other strength and mind enhancing procedures, originally bred for crowd control, they would find greater use once the covenant appeared.
Through training, they were able to outsmart orbital drop shock troopers (like the ones from halo 2) and kill the best fighters on earth by age 10, but now, they were unstoppable.
After being put into use since the age of 18, the super soldiers were decorated like none other in combat (basically watch the movie "soldier". But their distinguishing moment was when the MJOLNIR battle suit was invented... the first volunteer was a marine, they let him wear the suit and he seemed fine, then they turned it on, the suit tightened, and because of the reflex machines inside exaggerating their movements, when he moved his arm slightly it completely shattered it’s entire skeletal structure. The resulting spasms of pain caused him to flail, completely shattering his entire bone system, and killing him.
Thus, the super soldiers the UNSC had created were the next up for this experiment, due to their bone augmentations, however, they could not only survive in this suit, but thrive, their reflexes doubled, their strength increased tenfold, they were near immortal.
John-117, having proven himself in combat the most distinguished, not for speed or strength, but for bravery and luck against dashing odds was pronounced the team leader for his selflessness for the sake of his team. (Oh, right... almost all of the super soldiers died in the augmentations).
One by one, his brothers and sisters were killed in combat once the covenant threat was seen, most of which died on the battle for reach, which ended with the covenant retreating and glassing (firing pure plasma at dirt turning it to glass) the planet.
After reach ended, began the war against the flood, which you can fill in as far as john-117 goes. After that came "The First Strike".
But, I’m tired of typing and you are probably tired of reading, so there's the origin of the master chief, anyway, and to find out the stories of EVERYONE ELSE check out the Halo book series.
The story begins with a young lieutenant junior grade Jacob Keyes and Dr. Halsey, they are going to a planet called "reach" where according to their studies a child with the perfect genetic composition of a soldier (one of about 300) lives, they arrive, and come to his school, and find him to be a boy named john wresting other boys off of a hill, completely unrivalled in strength.
Dr. Halsey kidnaps him and they take him away to a more interesting part of reach, the single largest military base controlled by mankind.
they rid him, and all of the other children of their last names, dubbing john to be john-117, the train the children by day and let them strengthen by night, teach them nothing but war strategy, by the age of 16 they decided the children were ready for body modifications, they coated their bones with titanium A, give them brain enhancing chips, sight sharpening surgery, and adrenal enhancements giving them unparalleled speed and reflexes. Along with several other strength and mind enhancing procedures, originally bred for crowd control, they would find greater use once the covenant appeared.
Through training, they were able to outsmart orbital drop shock troopers (like the ones from halo 2) and kill the best fighters on earth by age 10, but now, they were unstoppable.
After being put into use since the age of 18, the super soldiers were decorated like none other in combat (basically watch the movie "soldier". But their distinguishing moment was when the MJOLNIR battle suit was invented... the first volunteer was a marine, they let him wear the suit and he seemed fine, then they turned it on, the suit tightened, and because of the reflex machines inside exaggerating their movements, when he moved his arm slightly it completely shattered it’s entire skeletal structure. The resulting spasms of pain caused him to flail, completely shattering his entire bone system, and killing him.
Thus, the super soldiers the UNSC had created were the next up for this experiment, due to their bone augmentations, however, they could not only survive in this suit, but thrive, their reflexes doubled, their strength increased tenfold, they were near immortal.
John-117, having proven himself in combat the most distinguished, not for speed or strength, but for bravery and luck against dashing odds was pronounced the team leader for his selflessness for the sake of his team. (Oh, right... almost all of the super soldiers died in the augmentations).
One by one, his brothers and sisters were killed in combat once the covenant threat was seen, most of which died on the battle for reach, which ended with the covenant retreating and glassing (firing pure plasma at dirt turning it to glass) the planet.
After reach ended, began the war against the flood, which you can fill in as far as john-117 goes. After that came "The First Strike".
But, I’m tired of typing and you are probably tired of reading, so there's the origin of the master chief, anyway, and to find out the stories of EVERYONE ELSE check out the Halo book series.
John-117 "The Master Chief linked his COM and encrypted the channel so only the people sending the signal would hear him. "Oly Oly Oxen Free," he spoke into his microphone. "All out in the free. We're all free."- Eric Nylund "The First Strike"
by /\_/Tyrant\_/\ December 29, 2005
by Cpt_Bob October 9, 2003
Spartan 117 is the last of a race of a type of super humans destroyed by the Covenant in Halo Halo2 and Halo3.
Also known as "Master Chief or just Chief"
The Master Chief was the sole Spartan to leave the Reach system aboard the Pillar of Autumn (with the exception of Linda-058 in cryo). For all he knew, he was the last Spartan alive. All of humanity depended on him, for even after their defeat at Halo 04 the Covenant were still strong, and there were new enemies and variables to contend with that Earth knew nothing about: the Flood, the Forerunner, and their creations, such as 343 Guilty Spark.
After his whirlwind tour of Delta Halo, his introduction to a host of new "friends", and a hitch-hike back to Earth aboard a Forerunner vessel it remains only to be seen how he plans on "finishing this fight".
He has lived most of his life in various military camps on Reach; stolen from his family at age six and his name changed to "John-117", his entire upbringing has been centered around making him a mechanism of military efficiency, utilizing both force and tactics. He displays an odd sort of attitude for a creation of the military: he does not glorify his violent actions, but merely does what he has to do. He does not hate his enemy; he kills them because he knows it is his duty to kill them; to win. "It wasn't the Chief's job to make things suffer - he was just here to win battles. Whatever it took." (FoR, p.6)
He is an unconventional Hero, for though he is strong, fast, and tactically brilliant, he is the epitome of none of those attributes, and is surpassed by other Spartans in each area. What John does possess above all is leadership and, to both Cortana's repeated salvation and bewilderment, probability-defying luck.
The story follows...
The modern Spartan program (in contrast to its ancient Greek counterpart ) was initiated in 2491, an element of the ORION project. Though not much is known about the first generation of warriors (their training, augmentation, goals, etc.), they were successful enough to garner the necessary consent for a second phase, aptly named SPARTAN II. Under Dr. Halsey, the Spartans would be developed in conjunction with the MJOLNIR armour project, the culmination of a powered exoskeleton technology that had been used for some time by the UNSC, and when discarded, by frustrated cargo handlers everywhere. The initial goal of the SPARTAN/MJOLNIR project was to provide a surgical strike team capable of dealing with Human rebellions quickly and efficiently, averting the use of large scale military force, and preventing the civil war, and tremendous loss of life, that would have inevitably ensued.
A total of 75 children, approximately age six and selected for their specific genetic dispositions (that is, being as close to perfect as science could determine), were "recruited". They were replaced with congenitally defective flash-clones to cover the enlistment, and trained, primarily on and below the surface of Reach, by one Chief Petty Officer Mendez, arguably the best Drill Instructor in the Navy. Their family names, whatever they may have been, were stripped, purged from record, and forever replaced with a 3 digit designation. Their upbringing would be defined not only by gruelling physical routine, but by a comprehensive academic tutelage under Deja, a Class II AI created specifically for the SPARTAN II project.
In March of 2525, on the orbital ONI Medical Facility above Reach, the then 14 year old candidates underwent a series of drastic and inadvisable operations to dramatically enhance their skeletal, muscular, optical, and nervous systems (FoR p.56). Of the original 75, a reported 33 survived the processes; 30 were lost, and 12 irrevocably crippled (though still used by ONI in research and ops planning). (Note: The exact number of Spartans to survive the conflicts to follow varies dramatically from source to source. Check here for a closer examination.)
Both before and after their final union with the MJOLNIR armour, the SPARTAN II's, with their overwhelming physical abilities, improvisational skills, and keenness for adversity, handled their operations with a profound efficiency: as of August 27, 2552 they had suffered only 3 KIA's and 1 too wounded to continue active duty, giving them the best record of any UNSC unit. Of course, they were officially listed as only MIA, part of ONI Section 2's successful propaganda campaign to boost morale; a program spearheaded by the SPARTAN II's and their glorious triumphs in battle, though strangely silent concerning Humanity's slow and imminent loss of the war against the Covenant.
Since their harrowing escape from Reach and the destruction of nearly 500 Covenant vessels consumed in the explosion of the 30km long Covenant Command Station, Unyielding Hierophant, the arduous task of defending Humanity from the ever gargantuan Covenant fleet (wise to the Earth's location) fell into their "big, green, armoured hands." Though their numbers were bolstered to 7 (or 8, including the abducted Kelly) before their return to Earth, the story's continuation focuses only on Spartan-117, with no mention of his comrades. Let's hope one is enough.
His armor is as follows...
In Bungie's franchise, Halo, the MJOLNIR battle armor is worn by the SPARTAN-II soldiers, inclusive of the protagonist known as 'Master Chief' (also known as John-117 in the Halo novels). The sole origin and first public encounter with the MJOLNIR battle armor, however, took place in a previous video game series by Bungie, titled Marathon. The suit's name, 'Mjolnir' (myohl-nir, IPA:Mjolnər), is derivative of Norse Mythology. Mjolnir was the hammer of the thunder god, Thor.
Armor versions
The versions of the MJOLNIR Armor in the Halo universe is completely separate from the Marathon series. There are currently six iterations of the MJOLNIR armor depicted in the Halo games and the novels. There has been many other verions of this armor that bungie never released.
Mark IV
The MJOLNIR Mark IV was chronologically introduced in Halo: The Fall of Reach, and is a radical redesign of the suit taking advantage of many technological leaps as the Mark I-Mark III armors required massive power consumption by being plugged to a generator, which was rendered impractical.
The MJOLNIR Mark IV armor's HUD contains an integrated computer system which continuously monitors weapons, ammunition, biological function, and motion (through an intelligent motion-sensing radar), and is capable of linking with weapons to generate an accurate targeting reticule. The SPARTAN-IIs were the only people that could wear the armor due to their augmentations (namely their hard bones and enhanced reflexes), as a standard Marine had his bones crushed when testing the armor in Fall of Reach.
The Mark IV Assault armor was fielded from November 27th, 2525 to August 29th, 2552.
Mark V
Prior to the Fall of Reach, the Mark IV suits were upgraded to Mark V, which allowed SPARTANs to house A.I. inside their helmets, as well as carry energy shields as a result of reverse-engineering the Jackal's shields. The Master Chief demonstrates the full lethality of the suit towards the end of the book, and was currently used in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Mark VI
Upon returning to Earth, the Master Chief's heavily damaged Mark V suit was replaced with a Mark VI, which gave a simplified H.U.D., a faster recharging energy shield, made falling damage almost non-existent, as well as removing the need to use standard medical kits.
Marathon - The MJOLNIR Mark IV Cyborg
During the course of the Marathon games, various text terminals mention of ten MJOLNIR Mark IV cyborgs, which represent "all of the destructive knowledge of mankind." The identity of the protagonist is never solidly stated in the games. The manual states that he is a security officer aboard the UESC Marathon. However, in the Marathon 2 preview, the AI Durandal reveals the following:
"Were you ever curious about the tenth cyborg which was supposed to be on the Marathon? Why could Leela find only nine? Was it ever activated? Was it destroyed during the defense of the colony? You are right to be curious."
This and other clues have led many fans of the series to the conclusion that the player is the tenth MJOLNIR Mark IV cyborg, though as with all Bungie games, speculation is common.
Real-life MJOLNIR Replicas
Many replicas of the MJOLNIR armor can be identified, such as the work of Nightmare Armor Studios, 'Chris Bryan', and of the website 'Briar's Armor'.
Also known as "Master Chief or just Chief"
The Master Chief was the sole Spartan to leave the Reach system aboard the Pillar of Autumn (with the exception of Linda-058 in cryo). For all he knew, he was the last Spartan alive. All of humanity depended on him, for even after their defeat at Halo 04 the Covenant were still strong, and there were new enemies and variables to contend with that Earth knew nothing about: the Flood, the Forerunner, and their creations, such as 343 Guilty Spark.
After his whirlwind tour of Delta Halo, his introduction to a host of new "friends", and a hitch-hike back to Earth aboard a Forerunner vessel it remains only to be seen how he plans on "finishing this fight".
He has lived most of his life in various military camps on Reach; stolen from his family at age six and his name changed to "John-117", his entire upbringing has been centered around making him a mechanism of military efficiency, utilizing both force and tactics. He displays an odd sort of attitude for a creation of the military: he does not glorify his violent actions, but merely does what he has to do. He does not hate his enemy; he kills them because he knows it is his duty to kill them; to win. "It wasn't the Chief's job to make things suffer - he was just here to win battles. Whatever it took." (FoR, p.6)
He is an unconventional Hero, for though he is strong, fast, and tactically brilliant, he is the epitome of none of those attributes, and is surpassed by other Spartans in each area. What John does possess above all is leadership and, to both Cortana's repeated salvation and bewilderment, probability-defying luck.
The story follows...
The modern Spartan program (in contrast to its ancient Greek counterpart ) was initiated in 2491, an element of the ORION project. Though not much is known about the first generation of warriors (their training, augmentation, goals, etc.), they were successful enough to garner the necessary consent for a second phase, aptly named SPARTAN II. Under Dr. Halsey, the Spartans would be developed in conjunction with the MJOLNIR armour project, the culmination of a powered exoskeleton technology that had been used for some time by the UNSC, and when discarded, by frustrated cargo handlers everywhere. The initial goal of the SPARTAN/MJOLNIR project was to provide a surgical strike team capable of dealing with Human rebellions quickly and efficiently, averting the use of large scale military force, and preventing the civil war, and tremendous loss of life, that would have inevitably ensued.
A total of 75 children, approximately age six and selected for their specific genetic dispositions (that is, being as close to perfect as science could determine), were "recruited". They were replaced with congenitally defective flash-clones to cover the enlistment, and trained, primarily on and below the surface of Reach, by one Chief Petty Officer Mendez, arguably the best Drill Instructor in the Navy. Their family names, whatever they may have been, were stripped, purged from record, and forever replaced with a 3 digit designation. Their upbringing would be defined not only by gruelling physical routine, but by a comprehensive academic tutelage under Deja, a Class II AI created specifically for the SPARTAN II project.
In March of 2525, on the orbital ONI Medical Facility above Reach, the then 14 year old candidates underwent a series of drastic and inadvisable operations to dramatically enhance their skeletal, muscular, optical, and nervous systems (FoR p.56). Of the original 75, a reported 33 survived the processes; 30 were lost, and 12 irrevocably crippled (though still used by ONI in research and ops planning). (Note: The exact number of Spartans to survive the conflicts to follow varies dramatically from source to source. Check here for a closer examination.)
Both before and after their final union with the MJOLNIR armour, the SPARTAN II's, with their overwhelming physical abilities, improvisational skills, and keenness for adversity, handled their operations with a profound efficiency: as of August 27, 2552 they had suffered only 3 KIA's and 1 too wounded to continue active duty, giving them the best record of any UNSC unit. Of course, they were officially listed as only MIA, part of ONI Section 2's successful propaganda campaign to boost morale; a program spearheaded by the SPARTAN II's and their glorious triumphs in battle, though strangely silent concerning Humanity's slow and imminent loss of the war against the Covenant.
Since their harrowing escape from Reach and the destruction of nearly 500 Covenant vessels consumed in the explosion of the 30km long Covenant Command Station, Unyielding Hierophant, the arduous task of defending Humanity from the ever gargantuan Covenant fleet (wise to the Earth's location) fell into their "big, green, armoured hands." Though their numbers were bolstered to 7 (or 8, including the abducted Kelly) before their return to Earth, the story's continuation focuses only on Spartan-117, with no mention of his comrades. Let's hope one is enough.
His armor is as follows...
In Bungie's franchise, Halo, the MJOLNIR battle armor is worn by the SPARTAN-II soldiers, inclusive of the protagonist known as 'Master Chief' (also known as John-117 in the Halo novels). The sole origin and first public encounter with the MJOLNIR battle armor, however, took place in a previous video game series by Bungie, titled Marathon. The suit's name, 'Mjolnir' (myohl-nir, IPA:Mjolnər), is derivative of Norse Mythology. Mjolnir was the hammer of the thunder god, Thor.
Armor versions
The versions of the MJOLNIR Armor in the Halo universe is completely separate from the Marathon series. There are currently six iterations of the MJOLNIR armor depicted in the Halo games and the novels. There has been many other verions of this armor that bungie never released.
Mark IV
The MJOLNIR Mark IV was chronologically introduced in Halo: The Fall of Reach, and is a radical redesign of the suit taking advantage of many technological leaps as the Mark I-Mark III armors required massive power consumption by being plugged to a generator, which was rendered impractical.
The MJOLNIR Mark IV armor's HUD contains an integrated computer system which continuously monitors weapons, ammunition, biological function, and motion (through an intelligent motion-sensing radar), and is capable of linking with weapons to generate an accurate targeting reticule. The SPARTAN-IIs were the only people that could wear the armor due to their augmentations (namely their hard bones and enhanced reflexes), as a standard Marine had his bones crushed when testing the armor in Fall of Reach.
The Mark IV Assault armor was fielded from November 27th, 2525 to August 29th, 2552.
Mark V
Prior to the Fall of Reach, the Mark IV suits were upgraded to Mark V, which allowed SPARTANs to house A.I. inside their helmets, as well as carry energy shields as a result of reverse-engineering the Jackal's shields. The Master Chief demonstrates the full lethality of the suit towards the end of the book, and was currently used in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Mark VI
Upon returning to Earth, the Master Chief's heavily damaged Mark V suit was replaced with a Mark VI, which gave a simplified H.U.D., a faster recharging energy shield, made falling damage almost non-existent, as well as removing the need to use standard medical kits.
Marathon - The MJOLNIR Mark IV Cyborg
During the course of the Marathon games, various text terminals mention of ten MJOLNIR Mark IV cyborgs, which represent "all of the destructive knowledge of mankind." The identity of the protagonist is never solidly stated in the games. The manual states that he is a security officer aboard the UESC Marathon. However, in the Marathon 2 preview, the AI Durandal reveals the following:
"Were you ever curious about the tenth cyborg which was supposed to be on the Marathon? Why could Leela find only nine? Was it ever activated? Was it destroyed during the defense of the colony? You are right to be curious."
This and other clues have led many fans of the series to the conclusion that the player is the tenth MJOLNIR Mark IV cyborg, though as with all Bungie games, speculation is common.
Real-life MJOLNIR Replicas
Many replicas of the MJOLNIR armor can be identified, such as the work of Nightmare Armor Studios, 'Chris Bryan', and of the website 'Briar's Armor'.
Don't know one. fdgjkdf sdfgjjsdf sdfkgjsdflgj sdfkgjhsdjklfg slfkghlsdfh sdfkghjsdfhg sdfkjgsfj askfjhgfd
Spartan 117 is a superhuman android monkey fluff.
Spartan 117 is a superhuman android monkey fluff.
by caboose_1980 May 21, 2007
Highly BASED date of human history.
The pinnacle of the roman empire territorial expansion under the command of the SPANIARD Roman Emperor Trajan!!!!
The pinnacle of the roman empire territorial expansion under the command of the SPANIARD Roman Emperor Trajan!!!!
simpus: yo chadus, what year is it?
chadus: 117 ad. very based times we live in! PRAISE BE TO CAESAR!!!
simpus: nIcE. Ave Caesar!
chadus: NICE.
chadus: 117 ad. very based times we live in! PRAISE BE TO CAESAR!!!
simpus: nIcE. Ave Caesar!
chadus: NICE.
by thepabz22 December 11, 2021
If you pwn a guy,and if that guy get the next kill off of you, then you must commit suicide the next chance you get. This is considered to be in the Rules of 117 unless you get to extract revenge on this guy again with another spawn kill or rape, in this case it all cancels out and is considered to not of happened, or be remembered as something of great value.
Dude 1: Dude, I just got this always no-scop off of this nub.
<"Nub" spawn kills Dude 1>
"Nub": Rule 117 seven, bitch!
<"Nub" spawn kills Dude 1>
"Nub": Rule 117 seven, bitch!
by {T-51b Ultra} 5\n4d0vv March 6, 2009
The stealth fighter. Looks different from the stealth bomber because it is a different generation of stealth. Itis in survice with the United States Air Force. It only flys at night and nope you cant see it on radar or even at night also cant hear it u know why it flys to high. Yeeeeeaaaaaaa we defiently have the best equipment Eurupe your planes SUCK.
by steve July 21, 2004
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a stealth ground attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force. The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved Initial Operational Capability status in October 1983.1 The F-117A was "acknowledged" and revealed to the world in November 1988.
A product of the Skunk Works and a development of the Have Blue prototype, it became the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology. The F-117A was widely publicized during the Gulf War of 1991.
The Air Force retired the F-117 on 22 April 2008, primarily due to the acquisition and eventual deployment of the more effective F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
About the size of an F-15C Eagle, the single-seat F-117A is powered by two non-afterburning General Electric F404 turbofan engines, and has quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire flight controls. It is air refuelable. To lower development costs, the avionics, fly-by-wire systems, and other parts are derived from the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15E Strike Eagle.
Among the penalties for stealth are lower engine power thrust, due to losses in the inlet and outlet, a very low wing aspect ratio, and a high sweep angle (50°) needed to deflect incoming radar waves to the sides. With these design considerations and no afterburner, the F-117 is limited to subsonic speeds.
The F-117A is equipped with sophisticated navigation and attack systems integrated into a digital avionics suite. It carries no radar, which lowers emissions and cross-section. It navigates primarily by GPS and high-accuracy inertial navigation. Missions are coordinated by an automated planning system that can automatically perform all aspects of a strike mission, including weapons release. Targets are acquired by a thermal imaging infrared system, slaved to a laser that finds the range and designates targets for laser-guided bombs.
The F-117A's split internal bay can carry 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) of ordnance. Typical weapons are a pair of GBU-10, GBU-12, or GBU-27 laser-guided bombs, two BLU-109 penetration bombs, or two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), a GPS/INS guided stand-off bomb.
Despite its productive combat service, the F-117 was designed with late 1970s technologies. Its stealth technology, while more advanced than that of any other aircraft except the B-2 Spirit, F-22 and F-35, is maintenance intensive. Furthermore, the facet-based stealth design has been surpassed by newer technology. Program Budget Decision 720 (PBD 720), dated 28 December 2005, proposed retiring the entire fleet by October 2008 to permit buying more F-22As. PBD 720 called for 10 aircraft to be retired in FY 2007 and the remaining 42 aircraft in FY 2008 and stated there were more capable Air Force assets that could provide low observable, precision penetrating weapons capability including the B-2, F-22 and JASSM.43 The Air Force originally planned to retire the F-117 in 2011. The Air Force later decided to retire the F-117 sooner to shift funds to modernizing the rest of the fleet.27 This would save an estimated $1.07 billion.44
A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing
In late 2006, the Air Force closed the F-117 pilot school,4 and announced the retirement of the F-117. The first six aircraft to be retired made the last flight on 12 March 2007 after a ceremony at Holloman AFB to commemorate the aircraft's career. Brigadier General David Goldfein, commander of the 49th Fighter Wing, said at the ceremony, "With the launch of these great aircraft today, the circle comes to a close — their service to our nation's defense fulfilled, their mission accomplished and a job well done. We send them today to their final resting place — a home they are intimately familiar with — their first, and only, home outside of Holloman."
Unlike most other Air Force aircraft which are retired to Davis-Monthan AFB, the F-117s were retired to the Tonopah Test Range Airport. At Tonopah, their wings were removed and the aircraft were be stored in their original hangars. On 11 March 2008, it was reported that the last F-117s in service would touch down on 22 April 2008 in Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, the site of the F-117's first flight. The F-117 was retired during ceremonies at Palmdale and Tonopah on 22 April 2008. Four aircraft were kept flying beyond April by the 410th Flight Test Squadron at Palmdale for flight test. By the beginning of August, two were remaining, and the last F-117 left Palmdale to fly to Tonopah on 11 August 2008. With the last aircraft leaving for retirement, the 410th was inactivated in a ceremony on 1 August 2008.
A product of the Skunk Works and a development of the Have Blue prototype, it became the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology. The F-117A was widely publicized during the Gulf War of 1991.
The Air Force retired the F-117 on 22 April 2008, primarily due to the acquisition and eventual deployment of the more effective F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
About the size of an F-15C Eagle, the single-seat F-117A is powered by two non-afterburning General Electric F404 turbofan engines, and has quadruple-redundant fly-by-wire flight controls. It is air refuelable. To lower development costs, the avionics, fly-by-wire systems, and other parts are derived from the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet and F-15E Strike Eagle.
Among the penalties for stealth are lower engine power thrust, due to losses in the inlet and outlet, a very low wing aspect ratio, and a high sweep angle (50°) needed to deflect incoming radar waves to the sides. With these design considerations and no afterburner, the F-117 is limited to subsonic speeds.
The F-117A is equipped with sophisticated navigation and attack systems integrated into a digital avionics suite. It carries no radar, which lowers emissions and cross-section. It navigates primarily by GPS and high-accuracy inertial navigation. Missions are coordinated by an automated planning system that can automatically perform all aspects of a strike mission, including weapons release. Targets are acquired by a thermal imaging infrared system, slaved to a laser that finds the range and designates targets for laser-guided bombs.
The F-117A's split internal bay can carry 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) of ordnance. Typical weapons are a pair of GBU-10, GBU-12, or GBU-27 laser-guided bombs, two BLU-109 penetration bombs, or two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), a GPS/INS guided stand-off bomb.
Despite its productive combat service, the F-117 was designed with late 1970s technologies. Its stealth technology, while more advanced than that of any other aircraft except the B-2 Spirit, F-22 and F-35, is maintenance intensive. Furthermore, the facet-based stealth design has been surpassed by newer technology. Program Budget Decision 720 (PBD 720), dated 28 December 2005, proposed retiring the entire fleet by October 2008 to permit buying more F-22As. PBD 720 called for 10 aircraft to be retired in FY 2007 and the remaining 42 aircraft in FY 2008 and stated there were more capable Air Force assets that could provide low observable, precision penetrating weapons capability including the B-2, F-22 and JASSM.43 The Air Force originally planned to retire the F-117 in 2011. The Air Force later decided to retire the F-117 sooner to shift funds to modernizing the rest of the fleet.27 This would save an estimated $1.07 billion.44
A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio Air National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing
In late 2006, the Air Force closed the F-117 pilot school,4 and announced the retirement of the F-117. The first six aircraft to be retired made the last flight on 12 March 2007 after a ceremony at Holloman AFB to commemorate the aircraft's career. Brigadier General David Goldfein, commander of the 49th Fighter Wing, said at the ceremony, "With the launch of these great aircraft today, the circle comes to a close — their service to our nation's defense fulfilled, their mission accomplished and a job well done. We send them today to their final resting place — a home they are intimately familiar with — their first, and only, home outside of Holloman."
Unlike most other Air Force aircraft which are retired to Davis-Monthan AFB, the F-117s were retired to the Tonopah Test Range Airport. At Tonopah, their wings were removed and the aircraft were be stored in their original hangars. On 11 March 2008, it was reported that the last F-117s in service would touch down on 22 April 2008 in Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, the site of the F-117's first flight. The F-117 was retired during ceremonies at Palmdale and Tonopah on 22 April 2008. Four aircraft were kept flying beyond April by the 410th Flight Test Squadron at Palmdale for flight test. By the beginning of August, two were remaining, and the last F-117 left Palmdale to fly to Tonopah on 11 August 2008. With the last aircraft leaving for retirement, the 410th was inactivated in a ceremony on 1 August 2008.
by stevekilledu June 10, 2009