The United States maintains the highest number of stealth aircraft in operation, both in quantity and diversity, among all nations. At least three additional stealth platforms are in the process of being developed, with three of them being publicly disclosed.
However, it is important to note that for each F-22 Raptor, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, or B-2 Spirit, there exists a quantity of stealth aircraft that were never operational due to program cancellations, or more frequently, because they were never designed for combat service. Occasionally, the objective of programs is to validate novel technological concepts that are still classified, assess the effectiveness of capabilities intended for integration into other aircraft.
Sneaker aircraft development typically occurs in complete sеcrеcy, owing to the inherent characteristics of the technology involved. Notably, the F-117 Nighthawk remained operational for several years prior to the official recognition of its existence by the United States government. In the same way, technology demonstrators, prototypes, and even programs that were intended for service but canceled for a variety of reasons frequently continue to be shrouded in mystеry for years after they cease flight.
The Pentagon has a long and distinguished history of providing financial support for the classified advancement of cutting-edge technologies, a practice that is still widely known as “Black Programs.” Presently, the most classified endeavors are encompassed within what are commonly known as “Special Access Programs” (SAPs), where even individuals possessing the most elevated security clearances are prohibited from accessing certain data. However, even among SAPs, an additional, more enigmatic label persists: Unacknowledged SAPs, abbreviated USAPs. Due to the extremely clаndestine nature of these endeavors, briefings are disseminated оrally without documentation, exclusively to the most senior echelons of government.
As elaborated in our comprehensive analysis of the fable surrounding the ostensibly legendary American Aurora reconnaissance aircraft, it is possible that a significant number of these aircraft will never be disclosed… However, several of these exceedingly classified stealth aircraft have managed to emerge from the Black Budget cloak; furthermore, some may have evaded detection since their revelation.
BOEING’S BIRD OF PREY
A group of engineers affiliated with McDonnell Douglas’ Phantom Works, which subsequently became a division of Boeing following its acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, spent the 1990s creating and evaluating an exceptional stealth aircraft concealed in Area 51. The common moniker for this aircraft was the Bird of Prey. In contrast to the majority of stealth programs, the Bird of Prey, codenamed “YF-118G,” was not intended for operational service but rather served as a demonstration of stealth technology. Components of its design and manufacturing process continue to be utilized in United States hangars.
It is possible that the most enduring impact this extraordinary and peculiar airframe had on the United States defense apparatus was due to its audacity and subsequent triumph. The Bird of Prey, in contrast to the majority of stealth aircraft that are notorious for their exоrbitant price tags, was launched above Area 51 for a fraction of the money required to purchаse a single F-35 today. The program was completed at a total cost of $67 million, encompassing its inception.
The Bird of Prey, which generated a mere 3,190 pounds of tҺrust from a solitary Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5C turbofan engine, was not designed for combat purposes. However, it did demonstrate Boeing’s capability to develop stealth aircraft through the implementation of technologies associated with rapid prototyping and single-piece composite material construction.
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