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Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit | Stealthy strategic bomber

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

Militarymedia.net | The black B-2A Spirit, like a bat is the silver bullet of US policy, reserved for use against the highest priority targets. The B-2 was the most expensive warplane ever built (about $900 million per copy), difficult to maintain and prone to problems with the coating that provided much of its stealth capabilities. The B-2 Spirit was developed as a low-observable strategic bomber for Cold War missions against Soviet strategic targets.

Composites are widely used to provide radar-absorbing honeycomb structures; The bomber has minimal IR signature, does not contrail and uses a shielded APQ-181 radar only momentarily to identify targets before striking. The glass cockpit is usually flown by a crew of two. It has a quadruplex-redundant digital fly-by-wire system and a highly advanced covert electronic warfare system.

Six prototypes were funded and the first was launched on November 22, 1988. The B-2's first flight took place on July 17, 1991. The US Air Force (USAF) implemented a series of treatments to correct the B-2A's lack of stealth capabilities.

B-2 Spirit
B-2 Spirit

The USAF originally wanted 132 aircraft, but funding restrictions meant the fleet was finished with just 21 aircraft. In 2008 one aircraft crashed leaving the current number 20. The last was delivered on 14 July 2000 and was the AV-1 prototype upgraded to the Block 30 standard. The first operational B-2A was delivered to the 509th Bomb Wing on 17 December 1993 and has initial operational capability. full came in April 1997.

After progressing through the Block 10 and 20 stealth capability, systems and weapon standards, the entire B-2A fleet will be brought to Block 30 standard with full weapons and stealth capabilities. The B-2A made its combat debut over Kosovo in 1999, using the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and other weapons to great effect. Although USAF B-2 troops are stationed at Whiteman, Missouri Air Force base, the service has ambitious plans to operate temporary aircraft from forward bases such as Guam and Diego Garcia.

Originally the B-2 was intended to carry sixteen AGM-129 ACM air cruise missiles. It was the first stealth cruise missile. It has a range of about 3,000 km and is equipped with a variable yield nuclear warhead (5-150 kT). This missile was developed due to concerns that stealth bombers needed stealth missiles to be effective against the most advanced Soviet air defense systems. This missile was adopted by the USAF in 1990, even before the B-2 bomber. In 1992 it was declared fully operational. In 2008, the USAF officially announced the decision to retire and destroy all AGM-129 missiles, to be completed by 2013.

B-2 Spirit
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

Currently the B-2 bomber can carry sixteen AGM-158A JASSM and upgraded AGM-158B JASSM-ER air cruise missiles. This stealth missile is specifically designed to penetrate advanced air defense systems, such as the Russian S-300 and its upgraded derivatives. The baseline AGM-158A has a range of 370 km. It was adopted around 2005. The upgraded AGM-158B has a range of 930 km and was adopted in 2014. So the B-2 can launch its missiles at standoff ranges, without entering hostile air defense zones. Both of these missiles have conventional warheads.

Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

Other weapons carried by the B-2 include thermonuclear free-fall bombs, penetration bombs, guided bombs, as well as the AGM-154C JSOW precision glide bomb.

For years the cockpit and instrument panel of the B-2 bomber were kept secret. Images of the cockpit became publicly available only in 2019.

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