Editing Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (section)

=== Avionics ===
Early stealth aircraft were designed with a focus on minimal radar cross-section<!-- (RCS) --> rather than aerodynamic performance; because of this, the F-117 is aerodynamically unstable in all three [[aircraft principal axes]] and requires constant flight corrections from a fly-by-wire (FBW) flight system to maintain controlled flight.<ref name="janos 3046">Rich and Janos 1994, pp. 30–31, 46.</ref><ref name= "bomber 280">Gunston and Gilchrist 1993, p. 280.</ref> It is equipped with quadruple-redundant FBW flight controls. To lower development costs, the avionics, FBW systems, and other systems and parts were derived from the General Dynamics [[F-16 Fighting Falcon]], [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress]], [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet]], and [[McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle]].<ref name="crickmore 1415">Crickmore and Crickmore 2003, pp. 14-15.</ref> To maintain a high level of secrecy, components were often rerouted from other aircraft programs, ordered using falsified addresses and other details, while $3 million worth of equipment was removed from USAF storage without disclosing its purpose.<ref name="janos 46">Rich and Janos 1994, p. 46.</ref>

[[File:Lockheed F-117A cockpit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, USA.jpg|thumb|YF-117A cockpit|alt=Lockheed YF-117A cockpit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, USA]]
The aircraft is equipped with sophisticated navigation and attack systems integrated into a digital avionics suite. It navigates primarily by [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] and high-accuracy [[inertial navigation]].<ref name= "bomber 282">Gunston and Gilchrist 1993, p. 282.</ref> Missions are coordinated by an automated planning system that can automatically perform all aspects of an attack mission, including weapons release.<ref name="fas2" /> Targets are acquired by a [[thermal imaging]], [[infrared]] system, paired with a [[laser rangefinder]]/[[laser designator]] that finds the range and designates targets for [[laser-guided bomb]]s. The F-117's split internal bay can carry {{convert|5000|lb}} of ordnance. Typical weapons are a pair of [[GBU-10]], [[GBU-12]], or [[GBU-27]] laser-guided bombs, two [[BLU-109]] penetration bombs, or, after 2006, two [[Joint Direct Attack Munitions]] (JDAM) GPS/INS-guided stand-off bombs.<ref name="janos 26">Rich and Janos 1994, p. 26.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Enos |first1=James R. |title=Applying real system age to DoD systems |journal=Systems Engineering |date=May 2022 |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=242–253 |doi=10.1002/sys.21614 |s2cid=246811908}}</ref>