F-117A Nighthawk

The F-117A Nighthawk is a stealth attack aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Description
The F-117A Nighthawk is the world's first stealth fighter. Created solely as a bomber aircraft, the Nighthawk possessed the capability to launch guided ordnance across a practically infinite range with aerial refuelling support. Contributing to its stealth capability, the Nighthawk's General Electric F404 turbofans can allow only to reach high subsonic speeds, thus masking its heat signatures, as well as guarding against heatseeking armaments. The F-117A Nighthawk's surfaces and edge profiles are optimised to reflect hostile radar into narrow beam signals, directed away from the enemy radar detector. All the doors and opening panels on the aircraft have saw-toothed forward and trailing edges to reflect radar.

The aircraft largely remained classified until the Gulf War in 1991, where it proved as an indispensable asset in stealth assaults against the Iraqi army, flying over a thousand sorties over almost 7,000 flight hours.

The Nighthawk was officially retired from active service in the year 2008 primarily because of the fielding of the F-22A Raptor and the F-35A Lightning II. Nevertheless, it's mission capabilities have cemented its status as one of the most respected and famous steath attack aircraft in aviation history.

Standard Weapons

 * Gun: 1 x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Cannon
 * Missiles: AIM-9M Sidewinder

Special Weapons

 * GPB/PGB: GBU-27 Paveway III (AC04/AC5/ACZ/ACX/AC6/AC:AH)
 * CLB/SFFS: Mk-20 Rockeye (AC04)
 * UGBL: Mk-84 2000 lb Bomb (AC04/ACX/ACX2)
 * LAGM: AGM-88A HARM (ACZ/ACX/AC6/AC:AH)
 * QAAM: AIM-9X Sidewinder (ACZ/AC6)
 * ODMM: Modified AIM-120C AMRAAM (ACX2)

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon

 * Color 1: United States Air Force. Jet black.
 * Color 2: United States Air Force. Powder blue active camouflage.
 * Color 3: United States Air Force. "Dzhoker" scheme from Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.

Aces

 * Baron (STFS/AC)
 * Razorback Squadron (URF/AC2)
 * Kwee (FEAF/AC04)
 * Regen "Rain" (BAF/ACZ)
 * Schatten "Shadow" (BAF/ACZ)
 * Schauer "Shudder" (BAF/ACZ)
 * Spuk "Spook" (BAF/ACZ)
 * Inferno (LAF/ACX)
 * Otus Recon Unit (AAF/ACX)
 * Gorizont Squadron (YAF/AC5)
 * Dzhoker "Joker" (EAF/AC6)
 * Nightowl (Valahia/ACX2)
 *  D. Cowboy   (USEA/ACAHL)

Air Combat

 * Stability: 10
 * Defense: 10
 * Offense: 10
 * Power: 40
 * Mobility: 10

Ace Combat 2

 * Power: 60
 * Defense: 60
 * Mobility: 45
 * Stability: 50
 * Climbing Ability: 60
 * Air-to-Air: 60
 * Air-to-Ground: 70

Ace Combat 5/Zero

 * Speed: 39
 * Mobility: 38
 * Stability: 81
 * Defense: 75
 * Air-to-Air: 39
 * Air-to-Ground: 91

Ace Combat X

 * Speed: 42
 * Air-to-Air: 18
 * Air-to-Ground: 69
 * Mobility: 54
 * Stability: 72
 * Defense: 75

Trivia

 * A notable goof in the Ace Combat games is that the F-117A is shown being capable of engaging in air to air combat, something the real Nighthawk could never do. The aircraft is also shown being equipped with an on-board cannon, despite the real F-117A never carrying any kind of gun armament, internal or otherwise. This, however, is most likely to let the player engage enemy targets like they would with other, gun-armed aircraft. It also does not carry any AIM-9 Missiles.
 * Also, as with the other player-controlled stealth aircraft, the F-117A Nighthawk still can be detected by the enemy radar, whereas the enemy piloted F-117A will only be able to be detected if the player is facing towards them (more prominent in Ace Combat X2)
 * It holds the record of ten appearances in the franchise with the including Ace Combat 3 (futurized) with the exception of Advance, second to the F-22A, EF-2000, and F-16 variants.