B2 spirit cockpit12/18/2023 Operational aircraft, plus 1 test aircraft that was not planned to be With theĭemise of the Soviet Union, the emphasis of B-2 development wasĬhanged to conventional operations and the number was reduced to 20 Was granted approval in 1987 to begin procurement of 132 operationalī-2 aircraft, principally for strategic bombing missions. The B-2 development program was initiated in 1981, and the Air Force rather than Europe with a much smaller, more lethal, and more survivable force. Six B-2s could execute an operation similar to the 1986 Libya raid but launch from the continental U.S. Future configurations are planned for the B-2 to be capable of carrying andĭelivering the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.ī-2s, in a conventional role, staging from Whiteman AFB, MO Diego Garcia and Guam can cover the entire world with just one refueling. An interim, precision-guided bomb capability called Global Positioning System (GPS) Aided Targeting System/GPS Aided Munition (GATS/GAM) is being tested and evaluated. The B-2 is intended to deliver gravity nuclear and conventional weapons, including precision-guided standoff weapons. The B-2 has a crew of two pilots, an aircraft commander in the left seatĪnd mission commander in the right, compared to the B-1B's crew of four Process remain classified however, the B-2's composite materials, specialĬoatings and flying-wing design all contribute to its "stealthiness." Signatures make it difficult for the sophisticated defensive systems toĭetect, track and engage the B-2. Infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures. The B-2's low observability is derived from a combination of reduced Its unrefueled range is approximately 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 Thus increasing its range and a better field of view for the aircraft's Its low-observability provides it greater freedom of action at high altitudes, The blending of low-observable technologies with high aerodynamic efficiencyĪnd large payload gives the B-2 important advantages over existing bombers. Retaliation provide an effective deterrent and combat force well Its capability to penetrate air defenses and threaten effective Sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, Its low-observable, or "stealth,"Ĭharacteristics give it the unique ability to penetrate an enemy's most The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventionalĪlong with the B-52 and B-1B, the B-2 provides the penetrating flexibilityĪnd effectiveness inherent in manned bombers. Even then, the viewing was tightly restricted and spectators were not allowed to see the rear of the plane (however Aviation Week editors found a way to take photos of the B-2's rear platform and engine exhaust anyway.FAS | Nuke | Guide |||| Index | Search | Join FAS So much so that a Northrop employee was arrested in 1984 when he attempted to leak info on the aircraft's development to the Soviet Union.Īfter almost a decade in development, the B-2 was first revealed to the public in 1988. Originally a Gray Project, meaning that although it was kept secret from the public, some information on it was available to the government, the B-2's technologies were kept under wraps. The Blackbird in particular used a combination of speed, high altitude and composite materials that absorbed radar. By 1979 "stealth" technology had advanced to the point that development could begin on a true stealth bomber. Planes like the Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" ( you can read more about it here) utilized certain components of stealth technology. Constantly improving anti-aircraft technology was putting pressure on military developers to come up with new ways for aircraft to avoid detection. The mid-1970s brought the need to replace the aging Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
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