B-2 Spirit: The legendary flying wing stealth bomber from Northrop Grumman has been unveiled.

After thirty-five years since its first flight, the B-2 Spirit remains the only operational stealth strategic bomber in the world. The Northrop Grumman masterpiece, with its flying wing design, carries a price tag of $2.1 billion per aircraft, has a radar cross-section smaller than a bee, and a combat record that spans from Kosovo in 1999 to Houthi strikes in Yemen in 2025.

Quick Overview

Stealth Class

~0.001 m² RCS

Radar cross-section of an insect

Range

11,100 km

Without refueling; unlimited with aerial refueling

Payload

23,000 kg

Nuclear or conventional

Unit Cost

2.1 billion USD

The most expensive aircraft ever built

What is the B-2 Spirit?

The B-2 Spirit is a stealth strategic bomber with a crew of two and four engines, operated exclusively by the U.S. Air Force. It made its first flight on July 17, 1989, and entered operational service in April 1997. Today, 19 of the 21 aircraft built remain active with the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, characterized by its flying wing design – there is no separate fuselage or tail surface – the entire aircraft is a single continuous wing, significantly reducing radar reflection while increasing internal volume for fuel and weapons.

What does it do?

Strategic Nuclear Deterrence – One of the three legs of the U.S. nuclear triad, carrying B61-7/11/12 and B83-1 bombs.
Penetrating Restricted Airspace – Can enter enemy air defense networks (S-400, HQ-9) undetected to strike high-value targets.
Mass Conventional Strike – 80 bombs weighing 500 pounds or 16 JDAM bombs weighing 2000 pounds in a single pass.
Bunker Destruction Missions – The only platform certified for the GBU-57 MOP (30,000 pounds) for deeply buried facilities.
Global Reach — From Whiteman Air Force Base to any point on Earth without the need for refueling; documented combat missions lasting 44 hours round trip.

B-2 Spirit BTF mission — B-2 Spirit on a bombing mission. The 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base can strike any point on Earth within 44 hours round trip. Source: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Air Force.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Value
Crew	2 pilots
Length / Wingspan	21.0 m / 52.4 m (172 ft)
Empty Weight / Maximum Takeoff Weight	71,700 kg / 170,550 kg
Engines	4 × GE F118-GE-100 (77 kN each)
Maximum Speed	High subsonic — Mach 0.95 (~1,010 km/h)
Range (without refueling)	11,100 km (6,000 nautical miles)
Service Ceiling	15,200 m (50,000 ft)
Weapon Payload	23,000 kg maximum (50,000 lbs)
RCS (Estimated)	~0.001 m²
Nuclear Weapons	B61-7, B61-11, B61-12, B83-1
Conventional Weapons	GBU-36/37 JDAM, GBU-57 MOP, JASSM, JSOW
Aerial Refueling	Compatible with KC-135 / KC-46

Operators and Contracts

Operator	Quantity	Notes
Wing 509 for bombing by the US Air Force	19 active	Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Total production	21 aircraft	Spirit of Kansas lost in 2008 (crashed in Guam)
Program cost	~44.75 billion USD	~2.1 million USD per aircraft
Annual maintenance	~3.4 million USD / aircraft / year	RAM coating maintenance is the largest cost driver

Why it matters to Turkey

Standard	B-2 Spirit	Turkish Equivalent
Stealth Wing	B-2 Spirit (Manned, 4 Engines)	TAI ANKA-III — Local UAV with Stealth Wing (2023)
Long Range Strike	11,100 km, 23,000 kg payload	ROKETSAN TAYFUN (+500 km) + GEZGIN (+800 km)
Crew Risk	2 pilots per mission	ANKA-III, AKINCI — Unmanned, Zero Crew Exposure
Export Sovereignty	Restricted by ITAR — Zero exports at all	100% Local — ANKA-III, AKINCI, TAYFUN ready for export
Unit Cost	2.1 billion USD / aircraft	TAYFUN ~3-5 million USD / missile; ANKA-III less than 10 million USD

Strategic Point: TAI ANKA-III shares the fundamental understanding of the B-2 — a stealth wing design that eliminates radar reflections — but presents it unmanned, exportable, and at a fraction of the cost. Turkey is reproducing the philosophy without the burden of 2.1 billion USD per unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the B-2 cost 2.1 billion USD?
Only 21 were built — development costs spread over very few units; RAM coating requires ongoing expensive maintenance; assembling the stealth wing without a tail is extremely complex.

Has the B-2 seen combat?
Yes: Kosovo 1999, Afghanistan 2001, Iraq 2003, Libya 2011, anti-ISIS operations 2015-2019, and Houthi strikes in Yemen in 2025.

Why were only 21 B-2s built?
The Cold War ended; the plan was reduced from 132 aircraft first to 75, then to 21. The unit cost exceeded $2 billion and Congress refused further purchases.

What is replacing the B-2?
The B-21 Raider. Ellsworth Air Force Base will receive its first operational squadron in 2027; B-2s will be retired during the 2030s as more than 100 B-21s enter service.

The Bottom Line

The B-2 Spirit is considered the most important piece of strategic air power built in the past half-century. The stealth philosophy of the flying wing has given every country that observes it a model for reducing radar cross-section through shape. Turkey learned the lesson and applied it in the unmanned ANKA-III platform — the same logic of the flying wing, unmanned, domestic, and exportable at low cost.

B-21 Raider Explained
B-2 alternative — sixth-generation stealth bomber.

In Turkish: What is the B-2 Spirit?
The same article in Turkish with a complete comparison.