The F-117A Nighthawk was developed at the height of the Cold War by the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works as a stealth fighter for missions undetected by the enemy, meeting an urgent national need identified by a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency study. Its angular design and radar-absorbent coating enabled it to reflect radar waves and be nearly invisible. DARPA awarded the contract in 1978, and a partnership between the Skunk Works and the U.S. Air Force quickly made production a reality. The first flight took place in 1981, deliveries began shortly after, and Lockheed Martin produced 59 F-117A Nighthawks and five developmental prototypes, with only one of the 59 aircraft ever lost in combat. From its first operational deployment in 1989 for Operation Just Cause until its retirement by the USAF in 2008, the F-117 Nighthawk played a critical role in several operational missions and helped pave the way for stealth technology. F-117A #803, Unexpected Guest, entered operational service in 1984 after its first flight in May of that year. Its nickname referred both to the secrecy surrounding the program and to the aircraft's ability to evade enemy radar, and it was inspired by the 1982 heavy metal album Unexpected Guest by the band Demon. Piloted by Captain Scott Stimpert in the 416th Ghost Riders Tactical Fighter Squadron for the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, #803 was one of six F-117As to fly in the program's first operational combat mission, Operation Just Cause in Panama. It flew 78 combat sorties, the most of any F-117A Nighthawk, and was retired in 2007 with 4,673 flight hours.
