F-117 to be retired this year

Neil Gould wrote:
Recently, John T posted:

"Tina" wrote in message

I wonder if the thought is the F117's mission can be done with
pilotless drones now? Why risk a pilot if he or she can be replaced
with GPS and an IC chip?
We're close to being there. Boeing and others are working on combat
UAVs, but the technology is still very much in the R&D phase.
Meanwhile, the -117 is beng replaced by the F-22 Raptor which by all
the accounts I've read, is quite a bit more capable than the -117.

Are the missions of the F-117 and F-22 all that similar?

Neil




Sure the F22 can do what the F117 can do and defend itself. The only
exception is the ability of the 117 to carry a 2K pound bomb.

F22 Load

Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan gatling gun in starboard wing
root, 480 rounds
Air to air loadout:
6× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
Air to ground loadout:
2× AIM-120 AMRAAM and
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder and one of the following:
2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM or
2× Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs) or
8× 250 lb (110 kg) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs


F117 Load

2× internal weapons bays with one hardpoint each (total of two weapons)
equipped to carry:
Bombs:
BLU-109 hardened penetrator
GBU-10 Paveway II laser-guided bomb
GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb
GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bomb
JDAM INS/GPS guided munition