The B-2s were first deployed in combat during the war in Kosovo. Since then, they have flown several combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. After being in active service for over 30 years, there will come a time when the B-2 system upgrades will only make the bombers marginally more effective.
The Air Force knows this and is currently working on a next-generation replacement, codenamed the B Raider for now. According to reports, a prototype is already being built and the first set may be operational within the next decade. The first B-2 Stealth Bomber might have made its maiden flight in but designs for a bat-winged aircraft were being considered as far back as The image here depicts the YB, a flying wing-jet developed by Northrop, the company that eventually won the contract to build the B-2 Bombers.
As far as bombers go, the B-2 Spirit has few equals when it comes to the impressive array of weapons it can bring to bear in battle. They can also be fitted to carry a large number of smaller high explosive bombs that can rain down in a continuous shower over enemy positions.
This includes improvements to parts such as the aft deck and bomb bays. Additional components like the Lockheed Martin integrated processing unit IPU and EHF satellite communications equipment have also been added to make the bomber even more effective in combat. Same old plane. Decades late, the B is getting a new nuclear weapon To keep the B bomber relevant for its nuclear mission, the U.
Air Force is preparing to spend billions of dollars to develop a new air-launched cruise missile. An interview with Jeff Bolton Jeff Bolton, Defense News's production partner explains his project--and what it was like to fly in a B Featured Video. Will the Air Force's EW gear fit in a smaller plane? Actionable Intelligence. How the Army wants to use artificial intelligence to hit targets MilTech.
New reports shed light on fire that destroyed Navy vessel Military Times Reports. As Europe looks to the Indo-Pacific, so does the Luftwaffe. Each weapons bay is equipped with a rotary launcher and two bomb-rack assemblies. In tests, the B-2 successfully released B and B nuclear and mk84 conventional bombs from the rotary rocket launcher, and mk82 and CBU conventional weapons from the bomb racks.
The B is an earth-penetrating nuclear bomb for use against deeply buried and hardened targets. The B83 is a strategic free-fall nuclear bomb. The B-2 bomber can also carry the AGM advanced cruise missile, which is a strategic cruise missile with a range estimated at up to 1, miles. Up to 16 satellite-guided JDAM joint direct attack munition missiles can be carried.
The MOP is GPS-guided, contains 2,kg 5,lb of explosive and is designed to penetrate hardened, deeply buried targets. B-2 is capable of carrying two MOP weapons, one in each weapons bay. A generic weapons interface system GWIS has been fitted as part of the block 30 upgrade. The GWIS is an integrated digital software package, which allows the B-2 to carry different mixes of stand-off weapons and direct attack munitions on a single sortie, enabling the aircraft to attack up to four different types of targets on a single mission.
Under a contract awarded to Northrop Grumman in February , the USAF has begun a programme to give the B-2 the capability to attack moving targets, using precision-guided weapons such as the small diameter bomb II. The contract involves the upgrade of displays and radar modes. Testing at Edwards Air Force Base has demonstrated reliable terrain following at altitudes down to ft.
The aircraft was officially handed off to the air force on at Whiteman Air Force Base, the operational home of the B-2 fleet and the th Bomb Wing. What we do know: It will be a stealth aircraft capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons. Built by Northrop Grumman, the B is named for Doolittle's Raiders , the crews who flew a daring bomb raid on Japan just a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Stephen Wilson said on July 24 that he has an application on his phone "counting down the days … and don't hold me to it, but it's something like days to first flight," according to Air Force Magazine.
The B also loomed over the B-2's 30th anniversary celebrations at Northrop's facility in Palmdale, California, where the B-2 was built and first flew. Company officials have said work on the B-2 is informing the B's development, and recently constructed buildings at Northrop's Site 7 are thought to be linked to the B For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.
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