The 12 Stealth Planes Used in the Air Forces of Global Superpowers

The United States has more stealth planes than any other nation. The technology’s roots trace back to the 1970s when Denys Overholser, a mathematician employed at Lockheed Aircraft, played a pivotal role in its development. The milestone moment occurred in 1983 when the American Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk, a ground-attack fighter, was officially declared as the world’s first operational aircraft equipped with stealth technology. (This is every plane in the U.S. military.)

Military aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor or the B-2 Spirit aren’t technically invisible on radar, but their stealth technology makes them harder to detect and track. A stealth aircraft’s general design effectively reduces radar and thermal detection. 

It is believed that the U.S. and Israel are the only countries that have used stealth aircraft in combat. The U.S. used them in the invasion of Panama, the first Gulf War, the Kosovo Conflict, the War in Afghanistan, the War in Iraq, and the 2011 military intervention in Libya. However, China, Iran, and Russia have their own stealth aircraft. (This is every plane in Russia’s air force.)

To identify the military aircraft that can’t be detected by the enemy, 24/7 Wall St. consulted a number of resources, including the U.S. Airforce and individual manufacturers for aircraft specifications. Aircraft are ordered by first flight date.

Here are the 12 stealth planes used by global superpowers.

SR-71 Blackbird
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
> First flight: Dec. 22, 1964

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F-117 Nighthawk
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
> First flight: Jun. 18, 1981

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B-2 Spirit
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman
> First flight: Jul. 17, 1989

F-22 Raptor
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
> First flight: Sept. 7, 1997

Two F-35C Lightning II aircraf... (CC BY 2.0) by Official U.S. Navy Page

F-35 Lightning II
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
> First flight: Dec. 15, 2006

RQ-170 art impression (CC BY-SA 4.0) by FOX 52

RQ-170 Sentinel
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
> First flight: 2007

Sukhoi Su-57
> Nation: Russia
> Manufacturer: United Aircraft Corporation
> First flight: Jan. 29, 2010

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J-20 at Airshow China 2016 (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Alert5

Chengdu J-20
> Nation: China
> Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group
> First flight: Jan. 11, 2011

RQ-180
> Nation: United States
> Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman
> First flight: 2013

Sharp Sword
> Nation: China
> Manufacturer: Hongdu Aviation Industry Group
> First flight: Nov. 21, 2013

Shahed 171 Simorgh (CC BY 4.0) by Majid Haghdoust

Shahed 171 simorgh
> Nation: Iran
> Manufacturer: Aerospace Force of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
> First flight: 2014

AVIC Cloud Shadow side view (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Mztourist

Wind Shadow
> Nation: China
> Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group
> First flight: 2014