The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber ranks among the most advanced and elusive to identify aircraft in the world. Developed in the Cold War, only 21 were built, and the price tag for each is an equally shadowy $737 million. The B-2 Spirit is almost invisible on the radar, a guarantee given through sleek design combined with technology, making the jet that formidable combination of stealth and firepower.
The creation of the B-2 Spirit was no ordinary task. Northrop Grumman had to design everything, right from tooling through software laboratories, down to composite materials, special test equipment, and 3D modeling systems. Manufacturing processes had to be innovated also.
The B-2 Spirit has been used in numerous large military operations. It was first used in Operation Allied Force, during which two B-2s flew over 31 hours from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Kosovo, dropped weapons on several pre-determined targets, and returned. The B-2s destroyed 33% of the targets in the first eight weeks of the conflict, despite flying less than 1% of the overall missions.
It holds the record for the longest air combat mission in history. In 2001, the Spirit of America, along with five other B-2s, flew into Afghan airspace on a mission that would last 44 hours. After a short 45-minute stop to change crews and service the aircraft, it flew back to Missouri, having been continuously airborne for over 70 hours.
The B-2 Spirit can make the best stealth ever. It is because of the reason that it exhibits no flat surface, and its engines are positioned inside the bomber that radar waves find difficulty in detecting it. This quality allows the B-2 to move stealthily into enemy airspace as it is highly demanded to be used for releasing both conventional and thermonuclear weapons from a height of 50,000 feet.
The B-2 can carry up to 20 tons of payload. It can mount 80 500-pound Mk 82 JDAM GPS-guided bombs or 16 2,400-pound B83 nuclear bombs. Its combat radius reaches 6,000 nautical miles without refueling and 10,000 nautical miles with one air refueling, which makes it capable of targeting any point on the globe in just hours.
Northrop Grumman remains committed to modernizing the B-2, such that it retains its standing as the consummate reflection of aviation technology: From deep programmed depot maintenance to software design and test, the B-2 fleet stands ready and available to conduct its missions.
The wingspan of the B-2 is 172 feet; it is 69 feet long and has a height of 17 feet. It can fly at high subsonic speeds and altitudes above 50,000 feet, having strategic and tactical value.
The iconic silhouettes of B-2s have made them Hollywood favorites, where these planes have appeared in blockbuster movies such as “Independence Day,” “Iron Man 2,” and “Captain Marvel.” Its unmistakable design and capabilities have held the B-2 in a special place within the military community, a symbol of advanced military technology.
The B-2 Spirit, unchanged in three decades since its creation, remains a marvel of technology that forms the cornerstone of the United States Air Force’s stealth and strategic bomber force. As program manager Richard Sullivan said, “Keeping the B-2 fleet mission-ready and available is our top priority.” The B-2 Spirit, though elusive, will probably not take leave of our sights for at least three more decades.