What is the B-2 Spirit? The legendary stealth flying wing bomber of the United States.
B-2 Spirit
Northrop Grumman produced the flying wing design stealth strategic bomber. First flight in 1989, entered service in 1997. Only 21 units were produced; unit cost $2.1 billion — considered the most expensive aircraft in the world. Played a role in deep penetration and nuclear deterrence during operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. Its successor is the B-21 Raider.
What is the B-2 Spirit?
B-2 Spirit is a stealth strategic bomber produced by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War in the 1980s. First flight on July 17, 1989, entered service on January 1, 1997.
Its design is unique: no traditional fuselage, tail, or vertical wings; the aircraft features a single large semicircular/triangular “flying wing” structure. This architecture greatly reduces radar cross-section (RCS) — a B-2’s radar visibility is equivalent to that of a small bird. The surface coating uses special Radar Absorbent Material (RAM); it is not just simple carbon composites, but extremely expensive and requires maintenance after each flight.
Its combat roles include:
- Deep penetration — stealthy flight deep within enemy air defense systems.
- Strategic bombing — carrying 16 nuclear bombs or 80 500-pound conventional bombs.
- GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) — the only aircraft capable of carrying 13,600 kg “bunker buster” bombs, designed for deeply buried targets like Iranian nuclear facilities.
Operational use: Kosovo in 1999, Afghanistan from 2001 onwards, Iraq in 2003, Libya in 2011, ISIS in 2017, Yemen in 2024. Based at Whiteman Air Force Base (Missouri, USA).
Only 21 units were produced; one was lost in an accident in Guam in 2008 (the Kansas Spirit), reducing the fleet to 20. Each B-2 has its own name (e.g., Spirit of America, Spirit of Texas, etc.). It is planned to retire by 2032, replaced by the B-21 Raider.
