OnamoonlessnightinJanuary1991,adozenU.S.aircraftappearedintheskiesoverBaghdad.TotheIraqiairdefenses,theplanesseemedtocomefromnowhere.Theirangularshape,makingthemlooklikeflyingorigami,renderedthemvirtuallyundetectable.Eachaircraftwasmorethan60feetinlengthandwithawingspanof40feet,yetitsradarfootprintwasthesizeofaballbearing.HerewasthefirstextensivecombatapplicationofStealthtechnology.Anditwasdevastating.PeterWestwick’snewbookilluminatesthestorybehindtheseaircraft,theF-117A,alsoknownastheStealthFighter,andtheirclosecousintheB-2,alsoknownastheStealthBomber.ThedevelopmentofStealthunfoldedoverdecades.Radarhasbeeninusesincethe1930sandwasessentialtotheAlliesinWorldWarTwo,whenAmericaninvestmentinradarexceededthatintheManhattanProject.Theatombombendedthewar,conventionalwisdomhasit,butradarwonit.Thatexperiencealsoraisedaquestion:couldaplanebedevelopedthatwasinvisibletoradar?Thatquestion,andtheseeminglyimpossiblefeatofphysicsandengineeringbehindit,tookonincreasingurgencyduringtheColdWar,whentheUnitedStatessearchedforawaybothtodefenditsairspaceandsendaplanethroughSovietskiesundetected.ThusstartedtheraceforStealth.Atheart,Stealthisataleofnotjusttwoaircraftbutthetwoaerospacecompaniesthatmadethem,LockheedandNorthrop,guidedbycontrastingphilosophiesandoutsizedpersonalities.Beginninginthe1970s,thetwofirmsenteredintoafiercecompetition,onewithhighfinancialstakesandconductedatthehighestlevelsofsecrecyintheColdWar.TheyapproachedtheproblemofStealthfromdifferentperspectives,onethatpittedaeronauticaldesignersagainstelectricalengineers,thosewhoreliedonintuitionagainstthosewhopursuedcomputeralgorithms.ThetwodifferentapproachesmanifestedintwoverydifferentsolutionstoStealth,clearlyevidentintheaircraftthemselves:theF-117composedofflatfacets,theB-2ofcurves.Foralltheirdifferences,LockheedandNorthropwerelocatedtwentymilesapartintheaerospacesuburbsofLosAngeles,notfarfromDisneyland.Thiswasnocoincidence.ThecreativecultureofpostwarSouthernCalifornia-unorthodox,ambitious,andfuture-oriented-playedakeyroleinStealth.Combiningnail-bitingnarrative,incisiveexplanationofthescienceandtechnologyinvolved,andindelibleportraitsofunforgettablecharacters,Stealthimmersesreadersinthestoryofaninnovationwithrevolutionaryimplicationsformodernwarfare.
