B-2 Spirit: The legendary stealth bomber with flying wings 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. A masterpiece by Northrop Grumman, with its flying wing design, it costs $2.1 billion per aircraft, has a radar cross-section smaller than that of a bee, and a combat history that spans from Kosovo in 1999 to Houthi attacks in Yemen in 2025.

Quick Summary

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 flying wing design, a crew of two, and four engines, operated exclusively by the United States 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, Missouri. The distinctive feature is the 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 capacity for fuel and weapons.

What does it do?

Strategic nuclear deterrence – one of the three pillars of the U.S. nuclear triad, carries B61-7/11/12 and B83-1 bombs.
Restricted airspace penetration – enters the adversary’s air defense networks (S-400, HQ-9) undetected to strike high-value targets.
Massive conventional strike – 80 500-pound bombs or 16 2,000-pound JDAM bombs in a single pass.
Deep underground bunker destruction missions – the only platform certified for the GBU-57 MOP (30,000 pounds) for deeply buried facilities.
Global range — from Whiteman Air Force Base to any point on Earth without the need for refueling; documented round-trip combat missions lasting 44 hours.

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 in 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 feet)
Empty weight / Maximum takeoff weight	71,700 kg / 170,550 kg
Engines	4 × GE F118-GE-100 (77 kN each)
Maximum speed	Mach 0.95 (~1,010 km/h)
Range (without refueling)	11,100 km (6,000 nautical miles)
Service ceiling	15,200 m (50,000 feet)
Weapon load	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 U.S. Air Force	19 active	Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Total production	21 aircraft	Spirit of Kansas lost in 2008 (crashed in Guam)
Program cost	Approximately $44.75 billion	About $2.1 billion per aircraft
Annual maintenance	Approximately $3.4 million / aircraft / year	RAM coating maintenance is the largest cost driver

Why it is important for Turkey

Standard	B-2 Spirit	Turkish Equivalent
Stealth with Flying Wing	B-2 Spirit (Manned, 4 Engines)	TAI ANKA-III — Local UAV with Flying Wing (2023)
Long Range Strikes	11,100 km, 23,000 kg payload	ROKETSAN TAYFUN (+500 km) + GEZGIN (+800 km)
Crew Risks	2 Pilots per Mission	ANKA-III, AKINCI — Unmanned, No Crew Exposure
Export Sovereignty	Restricted under ITAR — No Exports at All	100% Local — ANKA-III, AKINCI, TAYFUN Ready for Export
Cost per Unit	2.1 billion USD / Aircraft	TAYFUN around 3-5 million USD / Missile; ANKA-III less than 10 million USD

Strategic Conclusion: TAI ANKA-III shares the fundamental understanding of the B-2 — a flying wing design that eliminates radar returns — 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 are spread over very few units; the RAM coating requires continuously expensive maintenance; assembling the flying wing without a tail is extremely complex.

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

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

What will replace the B-2?
The B-21 Raider. Ellsworth Air Force Base will receive its first operational squadron in 2027; the B-2s will be retired during the 2030s while there will be over 100 B-21s in service.

Summary

The B-2 Spirit is considered the most strategic piece of air power built in the last half-century. It introduced the flying wing stealth philosophy to every country that monitored it, making it a model for reducing radar cross-section through its shape. Turkey learned the lesson and applied it to the unmanned platform ANKA-III: the same logic of a flying wing, unmanned, national, and exportable at a much lower cost.

B-21 Raider Explained
Alternative to the B-2 – sixth-generation stealth bomber.

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