Spirit AeroSystems

The briefing recounts the HIDE program at North American Aviation in Tulsa and the engineers who worked on low-observable systems for aircraft, missiles, and submarines. Topics include structural radar absorbers used on the AGM-28 Hound Dog missile; radar-absorbing systems on the B-1B; and the HIDE-descended B-1B and Tomahawk programs. The discussion also connects Oklahoma’s aerospace talent development and Tinker modernization to Guard and industry responses to emerging threats such as drone defense. The engineers will share the story publicly together in the city where they built the program.

The discussion traces the HIDE group’s early stealth work in Tulsa, beginning with efforts to reduce the detectability of the AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missile using structural radar absorbers. The program’s work later touched stealth drones flown in Vietnam, stealth-related submarine technology, and the B-1B bomber. The event connects that history to Oklahoma’s defense industry.