On March 27, 1999, Yugoslav air defense forces shot down an American F-117 Nighthawk stealth aircraft. This was the first combat loss in history of an aircraft built using stealth technology.
After this, the Serbs shot down another F- 117, but it was able to return to base. According to analysts, the successful operation of Yugoslav airdefense systems against American stealth demonstrated that stealth technology has its limits. The U.S. stealth aircraft soon became known throughout the country and inspired Serbs to shoot it down.