B-2 Bombers: The Forgotten Reason the Air Force Won’t Ever Have Enough

I bear in mind the primary time I noticed a B-2 Spirit bomber at an air present at Kirtland Air Drive Base in New Mexico.

It was a uncommon sighting for the reason that Air Drive prefers to maintain prying eyes from seeing such a beneficial asset that may carry doom to the enemy on different continents.

I used to be amazed on the dimension and presence of the menacing bomber. I had related it extra with the smaller F-117 Nighthawk, however the B-2 is immense.

One can think about the ordnance it might ship with such an unlimited payload.

However sadly for the U.S. navy, there are solely 19 B-2s in service.

The stealthy B-2s fly out of Whiteman Air Drive Base in Missouri. They’ve these days been busy attacking the Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The warplanes are hitting underground weapons depots to rob the Houthis of their ammunition. This exhibits the B-2’s geographic attain and the way it’s nonetheless related in 2024. 

Allow us to dive into the Air Drive’s endless nightmare in relation to the B-2 bomber: the numbers drawback. 

The Excessive Price Provides Pentagon Quantity Crunchers Matches

The largest drawback with the B-2 and why its numbers have been restricted is the fee. 

Every bomber set the Air Drive again $2.1 billion a chunk. That is an eye-watering value that the U.S. authorities might simply not afford to pay past the 19 in existence.

However Take A Nearer Take a look at This Bomb Truck

Nevertheless, one might argue that the funding has been price it. 

B-2s can carry 40,000 kilos of munitions from two inside weapons bays. Initially, 16 JDAMs (Joint Direct Assault Munitions) may very well be dropped, and these are extremely correct “sensible bombs” that may punish the enemy into submission. 

Then, the Air Drive discovered a approach to enhance the rack design on the bomb bays, and now as much as 80 JDAMs will be carried.

Enormous Leg of the Nuclear Triad

Even higher, the B-2 is a strategic asset that may carry nuclear weapons. 

That is the bombers’ most essential job. The airplane, with aerial re-fueling, can ship nuclear munitions wherever on this planet. It’s a important a part of the U.S. navy’s nuclear triad and shall be a necessary cog in protection methods for years.

Some Wished Over 100 Stealth Bombers

For these causes, the Division of Protection hoped to carry dozens extra B-2s into service. 

The Air Drive initially wished 75. Different strategists and protection acquisition execs aimed for 139 B-2s. 

Nevertheless, the value tag went up due to excessive analysis and improvement prices as a result of necessity for costly stealth coatings and different options.

Then, the Chilly Warfare Ended 

The “peace dividend” after the Chilly Warfare, when protection budgets have been minimize drastically and the Air Drive was hit with a discount in drive necessities, positioned the B-2 on the chopping block. 

There was not a Soviet risk, and numerous nuclear supply programs wasn’t wanted. There have been merely fewer targets to hit. 

Secretary of Protection Dick Cheney, serving underneath President George HW Bush, determined that the strategic bomber wasn’t wanted as badly and selected to fly solely 21 B-2s. 

One B-2 went down in a crash in 2008. 

One other accident in 2022 broken a B-2 past restore. Nineteen stealth bombers survived.

The B-2 Has A lot Upside

The peace dividend choice by Cheney and others on the Pentagon was a mistake. 

The B-2s loved a superb fight document through the invasion of Iraq in 2003. With out the shock and awe marketing campaign from the Spirit bombers, Operation Desert Storm and the deposing of Saddam Hussein wouldn’t have been as profitable. Throughout the World Warfare on Terror, the B-2 was a workhorse and allowed for tons of munitions to be dropped on militants.

It’s nonetheless getting used within the Center East and is required for the rise of nice powers akin to Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.

Is the Stealth Bomber Out of Date?

Not everybody agrees with this evaluation. Some suppose the B-2 has seen higher days and isn’t as stealthy because it as soon as was. 

It may very well be shot down by extra superior radar programs and air defenders akin to S-400 and S-500 surface-to-air missile batteries. That’s the reason the Air Drive goes with the brand new B-21 Raider.

Additionally, the B-2 is tough and dear to take care of. Retaining it within the air requires a highly-trained crew and across the clock vigilance.

Nevertheless, the B-2 remains to be wanted, and will probably be a beneficial asset till the 2030s, when the B-21 will take its place. The Spirit is a crucial a part of the nuclear triad and remains to be a beast in relation to delivering weapons. 

It may well make it to many scorching spots around the globe and punish the enemy. It’s too unhealthy there are solely 19 in service, however hopefully, there shall be at the least 100 B-21s sometime, and the B-2 can then retire with distinction.

Concerning the Writer: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood 

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the writer of Don’t Flip Your Again On the World: a Conservative International Coverage and People, Machines, and Information: Future Traits in Warfare, plus two different books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech agency that predicted world occasions utilizing synthetic intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and suggested the senator on protection and overseas coverage points. He has taught at American College, George Washington College, and George Mason College. Brent is a former U.S. Military Infantry officer. He will be adopted on X @BMEastwood.