[lazyguy]

USA hasn't really fought people capable of shooting down jets in a while. So the latest is generally the early 1990's with the combat in Iraq.

The only stealth plane shot down that I am aware of was a F-117 shot down by short range SAM in the Kosovo war in 1999. It was a older 1960's missile design. Probably due to a large part of combination of dumb luck on the side of the SAM operator and the Airforce being lazy and having the jet fly predictable routine routes.

[ceejayoz]

Definitely some dumb luck - they managed to catch it with the bomb bay doors open, which increased its radar signature dramatically.

[liability]

I wouldn't call that 'luck' per se on account of the Americans apparently flying like that habitually, as well as sticking to predictable flight plans. It's not like the Serbs fired into the blue on a whim and were shocked when they hit something.

[NikolaeVarius]

Yeah, highlights issue of being so damn good, you get complacent

[imtringued]

That's the lazy part.

[wbl]

It was not dumb luck. He placed his site where he knew the doors were more likely to be open and hence increase the signature, and waited for that moment to switch on the radar and fire the shot.