US Air Force to retire damaged B‑2 stealth bomber as repairs deemed too costly

The United States Air Force has decided not to repair one of their malfunctioning B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. This aircraft, commonly called "Ghost" due to its stealth capabilities, is nearly invisible to radar systems. This invisibility, combined with its high speed and significant payload capacity, allows it to undertake a wide range of missions at both low and high altitudes.

Northrop Grumman, the manufacturer of the B-2 bombers, states that these aircraft can penetrate sophisticated enemy air defenses to carry out both conventional and nuclear missions. The B-2 Spirit boasts a takeoff weight of 336,500 pounds, with the aircraft weighing 160,000 pounds. Powered by four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines, it can reach speeds up to 646 mph and has a range of about 6,000 miles, making it an intercontinental bomber. The B-2 can be armed with a variety of weapons, including nuclear (like the B61 bombs or AGM-129 ACM missiles) and conventional munitions (such as Mk 82 aerial bombs, CBU-97 cluster bombs, or AGM-154 JSOW precision strike weapons).

According to Defence Express, in its annual force structure report, the Pentagon has deemed the repair of this particular B-2 as financially unviable and plans to retire it in fiscal year 2025, starting on October 1, 2024.

The exact model of the damaged aircraft has not been identified, but it is believed to have made an emergency landing in December 2022 and was subsequently damaged by fire. With 20 B-2 bombers currently in service, the focus is now on updating the remaining fleet. Despite the high cost of repairing the damaged aircraft, Northrop Grumman has received $7 billion for the modernization and maintenance of the B-2 bombers. This indicates a continued investment in stealth technology while working on the new sixth-generation B-21 Raider stealth bombers.