Stealthy jet aircraft have been used for surveillance since the 1950s, but dedicated-design stealth warplanes were not used in combat prior to the first Gulf War (1991). In that war, F-117s—which first became operational in 1982—made some 1,300 sorties and were the only aircraft to bomb targets in downtown Baghdad? B-2 bombers were first used in combat in the Kosovo conflict in 1999, flying bombing sorties from Missouri to Yugoslavia (with midflight refueling over the Atlantic). F-117s were also used in the Kosovo conflict; one was shot down and two were damaged by enemy fire. The first overseas combat deployment of B-2 bombers occurred in 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stealth technology is also employed in U.S. cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk and the AGM-129A. The Tomahawk, a tactical weapon that can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads, has been deployed in four versions, including air-, sea-, and ground-launched types, and was used extensively in combat in both Gulf Wars and in Afghanistan in 2002. The AGM-129A is stealthier than the 1970s-vintage Tomahawk; it carries the W80 250-kiloton nuclear warhead and is designed to be fired from under the wings of the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber. The AGM-129A has not [21] been used in combat. Benefits of Stealth Technology
Stealthy jet aircraft have been used for surveillance since the 1950s, but dedicated-design stealth warplanes were not used in combat prior to the first Gulf War (1991). In that war, F-117s—which first became operational in 1982—made some 1,300 sorties and were the only aircraft to bomb targets in downtown Baghdad? B-2 bombers were first used in combat in the Kosovo conflict in 1999, flying bombing sorties from Missouri to Yugoslavia (with midflight refueling over the Atlantic). F-117s were also used in the Kosovo conflict; one was shot down and two were damaged by enemy fire. The first overseas combat deployment of B-2 bombers occurred in 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stealth technology is also employed in U.S. cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk and the AGM-129A. The Tomahawk, a tactical weapon that can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads, has been deployed in four versions, including air-, sea-, and ground-launched types, and was used extensively in combat in both Gulf Wars and in Afghanistan in 2002. The AGM-129A is stealthier than the 1970s-vintage Tomahawk; it carries the W80 250-kiloton nuclear warhead and is designed to be fired from under the wings of the B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber. The AGM-129A has not been used in combat. [21] Benefits of Stealth Technology