Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
0 comments 
The U.S. Air Force Confirms The Loss Of Another Stealth B-2 Bomber After An Emergency Landing And Fire At Whiteman Air Force Base, Reducing The Fleet To 19 Aircraft And Highlighting The Impact On The Nation’s Nuclear Strike Capacity.
Imagine an aircraft so advanced that it instills fear in many countries around the world due to its destructive power, equipped with nuclear capability and stealth technology. Now, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has just lost another one of these stealth B-2 bombers. What happened to this vital piece of military technology?
The B-2 bomber, also known as the Spirit, is a long-range stealth aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman. It is notable for its ability to penetrate deep into enemy territory without being detected. The B-2 entered service in 1997 and is recognized for its distinctive aerodynamic shape and advanced stealth technology.
With The Loss Of The Second Stealth B-2 Bomber, The Nuclear Strike Aircraft Fleet Now Contains Only 19 Jets
In an April report, the USAF confirmed that it would not recover the stealth B-2 bomber that crashed after an emergency landing in December 2022. The incident occurred at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where the aircraft suffered a fire after landing. The USAF deemed recovery economically unfeasible.
-
São Paulo surprises the world with a colossal railway network project that promises over 1,000 km of tracks, R$ 194 billion in investments, and 40 projects connecting the capital to the interior with fast and sustainable trains.
-
The world’s largest escalator, measuring 905 meters in China, reduces urban travel time from 1 hour to about 20 minutes and transforms mobility in mountainous regions with an engineering solution adapted to the terrain.
-
A R$ 300 million logistics giant is taking shape in Serra with over 100,000 m² and raises a question: how can this transform e-commerce and distribution in the state?
-
Could Uber Rides Lose Minimum Fare? Understand What’s Happening!
With the loss of the second B-2 Spirit, the nuclear strike aircraft fleet now contains only 19 jets. Originally, Northrop Grumman manufactured 21 B-2 bombers at Factory 42, located in California, between the late 1980s and early 1990s. Of the 21 bombers built, 20 were delivered to the Air Force while one remained as a prototype for testing, and was subsequently also delivered to the USAF.
The Loss Of Another B-2 Occurs Amid The Development Of The B-21 Raider Bomber
Each B-2 has an estimated unit cost of over $4 billion, making it the most expensive aircraft in history. This small fleet is extremely valuable to the Pentagon. Fortunately, the pilots managed to eject in time, but the aircraft was completely destroyed after catching fire. In 2021, another incident occurred when a B-2 went off the runway at Whiteman after the right landing gear collapsed. Despite this, the bomber was partially recovered to fly to Northrop Grumman for a complete overhaul.
The loss of another B-2 occurs amid the development of the B-21 Raider bomber, which is also stealthy and has a flying wing design. The new aircraft from Northrop Grumman follow in the footsteps of the Spirit, being manufactured at Factory 42, but will have a significantly lower cost and a versatile configuration. The expectation is that the B-21s enter service by the end of the decade. Until then, the remaining B-2s will continue to be essential for the defense of the United States.
Seja o primeiro a reagir!