A Brief History
On November 22, 1988, one of the most costly of the Cold War high technology weapons was revealed when the prototype of the Northrup Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was made public.
Digging Deeper
Development had started under the administration of President Carter, which was a major reason for Carter canceling the B-1 bomber. Of course, the public was unaware of problems with the B-1 and the game changing technology that would be incorporated on the B-2, making Carter seem soft on military power. During the 1980 presidential election, Carter felt compelled to make vague reference to the development of a stealth bomber.
A flying wing type of layout, the B-2 has no traditional tail, helping it to achieve its stealthy performance in evading detection by radar. The overall shape of the airplane, special materials and coatings, and careful attention to the way seams and joints are constructed foil enemy radar. Of course, in order to be “invisible,” the giant bomber must also fly during darkness to avoid visual acquisition.
A change in intended mission profile from high altitude to low altitude meant a delay of 2 years in the first flight of the B-2, and of course added to the cost of the program. The B-2 program has cost a staggering $44.75 billion (through 2004) for the production of only 21 bombers! First operational in 1997, the so called “flyaway” cost at that time was “only” $737 million (1997 dollars), but taken as part of the entire cost of development and production the price taxpayers paid per bomber is over $2 billion each. No wonder critics claim it would have been far more cost effective to continue development and production of ever more capable cruise missiles and unmanned drones (which apparently we have done, anyway). Such objections to the massive price tag caused the program to decrease from an intended 132 bombers to only 21. (The end of the Cold War had something to do with that.)
Still, as befitting the most powerful military on Earth (not to mention the most expensive), the B-2 is a remarkable and highly capable aircraft. Capable of carrying 80 500 pound GPS guided bombs or 16 2400 pound nuclear bombs, its payload is amazing for such a stealthy aircraft. Flying at 50,000 feet altitude for 6000 miles on internal fuel, the B-2 can hit anywhere in the world with aerial refueling. Manned by a crew of only 2, the big bomber has no defensive weaponry, just anti-radar, anti-infrared, and anti-electronic countermeasures to protect itself. Flying at just under the speed of sound (630 mph) presents no sonic boom signature to give away its presence. At 69 feet in length, and 172 feet of wingspan, the B-2 weighs in at 336,000 pounds (loaded) making it a fairly large airplane.
Eager to justify the immense cost of the B-2 program, the US employed the Spirit in combat dropping bombs on Kosovo in 1999. The B-2 has also been used in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. No combat losses have occurred, although one B-2 was lost in a crash in 2008 in Guam (both crewmen lived).
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Is the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber worth its immense price? If not, what should we do to maintain our ability to bomb highly protected targets? What are your thoughts on the subject?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Hansen, Ole Steen and Alex Pang. The B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (Cross-Sections). Capstone Press, 2005.
Miller, Jay. Northrop B-2 Spirit. Midland Publishing Ltd, 1995.
