Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. [113] Spirit of Kansas had been operated by the 393rd Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and had logged 5,176 flight hours. Lockheed received the sole award for the second test round in April 1976 leading to the Have Blue program. ", "Program office brings home 'wounded warrior'. The bomber remains vulnerable, however, to visual interception by fighters. [14] Northrop had prior experience developing the YB-35 and YB-49 flying wing aircraft. [96] The use of JDAMs and precision-guided munitions effectively replaced the controversial tactic of carpet-bombing, which had been harshly criticised due to it causing indiscriminate civilian casualties in prior conflicts, such as the 1991 Gulf War. [15] The Northrop design was larger while the Lockheed design included a small tail. [94] The B-2 reached initial operational capability (IOC) on 1 January 1997. [10], By 1976, these programs progressed to where a long-range strategic stealth bomber appeared viable. [49] In 2010, it was made public that the Air Force Research Laboratory had developed a new material to be used on the part of the wing trailing edge subject to engine exhaust, replacing existing material that quickly degraded. In return, on 22 August 1980, the Carter administration publicly disclosed that the United States Department of Defense (DoD) was working to develop stealth aircraft, including a bomber. span 52.43 m / 172 ft 0 in length 21.03 m / 69 ft 0 in height 5.18 m / 17 ft 0 in. [6], By the mid-1970s, it was becoming clear that there was a different way to avoid missiles and intercepts; known today as "stealth"; the concept was to build an aircraft with an airframe that deflected or absorbed radar signals so that little was reflected back to the radar unit. [73], In response to organizational issues and high-profile mistakes made within the Air Force,[101][102] all of the B-2s, along with the nuclear-capable B-52s and the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), were transferred to the newly formed Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 February 2010. ", http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/us-had-planned-air-strike-to-level-osama-abbottabad-hideout/1/216617.html, US flies stealth bombers over South Korea, U.S. flies B-2 stealth bombers to S. Korea in "extended deterrence mission" aimed at North, "Air Force: Sensor moisture caused 1st B-2 crash. Rip, Michael Russell, and James M. Hasik. ", "Flight Control Actuation System Integrator for the B-2 Spirit. ", "Crisis in Libya: U.S. bombs Qaddafi's airfields. [56], The Common Very Low Frequency Receiver upgrade will allow the B-2s to use the same Very low frequency transmissions as the SSBNs so as to continue in the nuclear mission until the Mobile User Objective System is fielded. Bush called for the cancellation of the B-2 and promised to cut military spending by 30% in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. President Carter was aware of these developments during 1977, and it appears to have been one of the major reasons the B-1 was canceled. [4] A total of 20 B-2s remain in service with the United States Air Force. The B-2 is the only aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration. [5] B-2s would be stationed in the Middle East as apart of a US military buildup in the region from 2003. [95] Depot maintenance for the B-2 is accomplished by U.S. Air Force contractor support and managed at Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base. [43] Nonetheless, Congress did not approve funding for the purchase of any additional B-2 bombers. ", "USAF Awards B-2 Radar Upgrade Production. PREVIOUS. Many people consider the B-2 an engineering marvel and one of the finest example of American air superiority. Northrop-Grumman B-2 Spirit. The bomber's design was changed in the mid-1980s when the mission profile was changed from high-altitude to low-altitude, terrain-following. [5][100] 2 internal bays for 50,000 lb (22,700 kg) of ordnance. Additional reduction in its radar signature was achieved by the use of various radar-absorbent materials (RAM) to absorb and neutralize radar beams. ", "President George H. Bush's State of the Union Address. ", "Northrop Grumman Applies New Coating to Operational B-2.". photo: U.S. Air Force. [60] "Forward operating locations" have been previously designated as Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, where new climate controlled hangars have been constructed. Eden, Paul. Development originally started under the "Advanced Technology Bomber" (ATB) project during the Carter administration, and its performance was one of the reasons for his cancellation of the B-1 Lancer. The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses; it is a flying wing design with a crew of two. View images of the B-2 Spirit on this page. AN/FPS-133 Air Force Space Surveillance System (AFSSS), AN/FSQ-114 Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS), Rapid Attack, Identification, Detection, and Reporting System (RAIDRS), AIM-120B/C Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), Articles needing page number citations from August 2015, Articles with dead external links from November 2014, Articles containing potentially dated statements from September 2014, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, National Museum of the United States Air Force, List of active United States military aircraft, "B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues Letter Report, 14 August 1997, GAO/NSIAD-97-181. [5] The B-2 is highly automated and, unlike most two-seat aircraft, one crew member can sleep in a camp bed, use a toilet, or prepare a hot meal while the other monitors the aircraft; extensive sleep cycle and fatigue research was conducted to improve crew performance on long sorties. Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit There are 303 photos of Version Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit for Aircraft Generic Type Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit in the Airliners.net database. two/three-seat strategic 'stealth' bomber and missile-launch platform. ", "Air Force Completes Preliminary Design Review of New B-2 Bomber Computer Architecture. [11] Further studies were ordered in early 1978, by which point the Have Blue platform had flown and proven the concepts. In 1997, as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee and National Security Committee, Congressman Ron Dellums (D-CA), a long-time opponent of the bomber, cited five independent studies and offered an amendment to that year's defense authorization bill to cap production of the bombers to the existing 21 aircraft; the amendment was narrowly defeated. By the early 1990s, the Soviet Union had disintegrated, which effectively rendered void the Spirit's primary Cold War mission. Three B-2s dropped 40 bombs on a Libyan airfield in support of the UN no-fly zone. [38], In time, a number of prominent members of Congress began to oppose the program's expansion, including former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, who cast votes against the B-2 in 1989, 1991 and 1992 while a U.S. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Congress slashed plans to purchase 132 bombers to 21. By 1992, Republican President George H.W. The B-2's clean, low-drag flying wing configuration not only gives it exceptional range but is also beneficial to reducing its radar profile. [60] Its low-observable, or "stealth", characteristics enable the undetected penetration of sophisticated anti-aircraft defenses and to attack even heavily defended targets. Northrop and Lockheed were awarded contracts in the first round of testing. In September 1997, each hour of B-2 flight necessitated 119 hours of maintenance in turn. The winding-down of the Cold War in the latter portion of the 1980s dramatically reduced the need for the aircraft, which was designed with the intention of penetrating Soviet airspace and attacking high-value targets. The evaluation also noted that the Defensive Avionics suite also had shortcomings with "pop-up threats". During the 1980 presidential election in 1979, Ronald Reagan repeatedly stated that Carter was weak on defense, and used the B-1 as a prime example. As a result, the flight control computers calculated an inaccurate airspeed, and a negative angle of attack, causing the aircraft to pitch upward 30 degrees during takeoff. Its wingspan is very wide compared to its length, and has maneuverability similar to the Airbus A321neo contributed by LRX. "The B-2's Stealthy Skins Need Tender, Lengthy Care. For battlefield communications, both Link-16 and a high frequency satellite link have been installed, compatibility with various new munitions has been undertaken, and the AN/APQ-181 radar's operational frequency was shifted in order to avoid interference with other operator's equipment. and S.P. First flown in 1989, the B-2 spirit is the most expensive bomber ever built, costing $737 million each, with 21 units currently in service. NEXT. [30], The program was the subject of public controversy for its cost to American taxpayers. take-off 181,437 kg / 400,000 lb. [12] An estimated US$23 billion was secretly spent for research and development on the B-2 by 1989. Military Aviation . [85] Four pairs of control surfaces are located along the wing's trailing edge; while most surfaces are used throughout the aircraft's flight envelope, the inner elevons are normally only in use at slow speeds, such as landing. [78] Engine thrust became a key element of the B-2's aerodynamic design process early on; thrust not only affects drag and lift but pitching and rolling motions as well. With aerial refueling support, the B-2 flew one of its longest missions to date from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri to Afghanistan and back. [69], Innovations such as alternate high-frequency material (AHFM) and automated material application methods were also incorporated into the aircraft to enhance its radar-absorbent properties and lower maintenance requirements. The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses.Designed during the Cold War, it is a flying wing design with a crew of two. In front of the B-2 is a star shape formed with five B-2 silhouettes. The B-2 Spirit Is Still In Flight Today. ", "Semantic Designs Aligns with Northrop Grumman to Modernize B-2 Spirit Bomber Software Systems", "Northrop Grumman Adding Mobile Targets to B-2 Bomber Capabilities. [55] The Next-Generation Bomber was estimated, in 2012, to have a projected overall cost of $55 billion. ", "Pentagon Wants Unmanned Stealth Bomber to Replace B-2. ", B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber on airforce-technology.com, B-2 Stealth Bomber article on How It Works Daily, AC-130H/U/J/W Spectre/Spooky II/Ghostrider/Stinger II, MC-130E/H/J/P Combat Talon I/Combat Talon II/Commando II/Combat Shadow, RC-135S/U/V/W COBRA BALL/Combat Sent/Rivet Joint, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS), AN/FPQ-16 Perimeter Acquisition Attack Characterization System (PARCS), AN/FPS-132 Upgraded Early Warning Radar (UEWR), AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response, AGM-86B/C/D Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), AGM-88A/B/C High-speed Anti-radiation Missile (HARM), AGM-114 Hellfire Air-to-Surface Missile (ASM), AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM), AGM-176 Griffin Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM), https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_B-2_Spirit?oldid=4789579. 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