It's coming up on 30yrs since the First Gulf War and the F-117 "Stealth" has long since been retired... so I don't think I'll get in any trouble sharing this....
The Sqdrn. I served in had EF-111's... they were electronic jammers. Radar, communications... you name it, it's ALQ99 jamming system could completely shut it down. The crews used to say that with all 10 transmitters pumping the hair would stand up on their arms. Anyways....
I was one of the line chiefs. Part of my job was to make sure all 28 aircraft we had were ready to fly whatever mission they were given. Toward that end I was given a FRAG sheet at the beginning of every day. What that acronym stands for eludes me now, but it was a secret document we used to configure airplanes based on the mission they were going to fly that night. Fuel load, weapons load... tons of info required to prep the airplane. Among that info was target, number and type of aircraft being "escorted." On the first night of the war, I had to configure 6 (I think) aircraft to escort several strike packages of F-117's to downtown Baghdad. When the crews returned the next morning they informed me that they did indeed sit just off the "Stealth Fighters" wingtips all the way "downtown" and back out... jamming everything that put out so much as an electronic "peep" as the crews put it.
So... was the F-117 a steathy airplane that could evade radar as was claimed? I can't answer that, I'm not familiar enough with it to offer an opinion. What I do know is that during the First Gulf War... they
did not prove that it could. It was escorted. I know...'cause I configured the jammers that escorted 'em.
I'm not badmouthing it... far from it, it was a capable airplane.. it's just that for 30yrs I've read and saw stories about how the stealth fighter was the "hero" the first night of the war... and I've always held my tongue. So now you know. Guess I'll have to keep an eye out for the "black" helicopters now...