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The F-35 Lightning II is usually the first aircraft that comes to mind when someone mentions expensive military aircraft. Ultimately, the F-35 program is what made it so controversial, was what made it so divisive. However, this is the total cost of the program. For something as sophisticated as the Lightning II, each F-35 costs about $110 million, which is (technically and comparatively) reasonable. While that’s still expensive, it’s a far cry from what a single B2 Spirit stealth bomber costs—in fact, the B in B2 can stand for “billion.”
A single B-2 bomber costs $2.13 billion to manufacture. With the “B” it’s in the billions, making it the most expensive plane ever built. Obviously, you don’t spend over $2 billion and build one of the top stealth bombers in the United States. The B-2 Spirit was first built in 1987 and was created near the end of the Cold War. It finally became operational in 1997, six years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Members of Congress, already outraged by the bomber’s cost, took a hard line about not being available for any missions during the same missions for which they were intended.
“It really is,” Rebecca Grant, an aerospace specialist and B-2 pilot who has flown the bomber, told CNN.a kind, completely unlike any other plane ever designed.” But does that warrant the high price to produce this aircraft? Exactly what makes it so expensive?
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Just How Stealthy Is The B2?
The B-2 Spirit has never flown in Russian airspace. But it would have been a very effective secret weapon if it had. The B-2’s sleek, rounded shape contrasted with its cousin, the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, which had vertical tail-like features that could indicate when an aircraft was approaching. Instead, radar waves are scattered by its smooth surface and radar-absorbing coating, returning small signals like birds.
In addition, designers masked the flames from its afterburners and reduced their heat and noise profile by tucking the engines into the fuselage. The B-2 is so quiet that it cannot be heard until it reaches the top end. Many sophisticated controls, including those known as PEN (Penetrate Enemy Defense), are hidden from the general public and are part of the bomber’s on-board systems. When the pilot presses the PEN button, the aircraft initiates a sequence of unknown tasks that must be completed before approaching the adversary.
It also notifies the crew if the bomber creates any vapor trails. When this happens, the pilot must change altitude to eliminate any indication of the B-2
Combat Capabilities
The B-2 Spirit was initially designed to carry and drop nuclear gravity bombs on the Soviet Union. However, since its production wasn’t finished until after the fall of the USSR, engineers modified it to carry a combat load of 20 tons, heavier than the B-52 Stratofortress, one of the largest airplanes in the world.
The B-2 can be stationed anywhere on Earth and can fly nonstop to any other location on the planet. The two B-2s flew 31 hours from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, to Kosovo on their first operational mission. The bomber must be refueled in flight, although it is used to flying for up to 70 hours at a stretch. Pilots can shift to rest in the cockpit area behind the crew seats, which are on semi-trucks, especially on long flights.
Furthermore, the B-2 Spirit maintains full operational capability even when adverse weather forces other bombers to abort their missions. Its higher altitude than other bombers allowed it to bypass bad weather and deliver its payload with impeccable accuracy. 33% of the Serbian targets destroyed in the Kosovo War were destroyed by B-2 bombers.
Regular Upkeep
Design of the B-2 began in the 1970s and made its first flight in 1989. Since technology was not as advanced as it is now, it took a lot of effort to update these bombers over time. The government reduced the initial purchase of B-2s from 132 to 21 due to the high cost of the aircraft. Even with so few spirits on the ground, updating this aircraft isn’t cheap.
Although Northrop Grumman, the company that makes the B-2, has not released many images of the flying machines inside the cockpit throughout the program, it is currently impossible for every bomber to use 1980s-era software and hardware. Each aircraft has undergone at least one complete stripping and rebuild using the latest technology.
Shogun Reynolds, B-2 program manager and vice president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems, told Popular Mechanics that “one item we are currently modernizing is the cockpit by replacing the cathode ray tube monitor-based subsystem.” These upgrades are estimated to cost $1 billion, including new avionics, digital systems and software, and more sophisticated radar absorbing materials.
Future Of The B2 Spirit
As mentioned, to stay in the air, the B-2 is currently undergoing additional improvements. When Raytheon’s LRSO (Long-Range Stand Off) missile goes online, it will be equipped with improved avionics and stealth material in addition to conventional and nuclear payloads. Still, the Air Force can’t keep upgrading the B-2 forever. Eventually, it will take something more sophisticated and future-proof to replace it: a new stealth bomber. For this reason, the Air Force has ordered a bomber from Northrop Grumman that is a higher generation to perform the same function as the B-2 Spirit.
The B-21 Raider, the world’s first sixth-generation aircraft, will eventually replace the B-2 and should be produced at a much lower cost than the B-2. The flying wing design will remain.This contributes to the legendary status of the B-2. Still, the Air Force plans to buy the first 100 Raiders, far more than the 21 Spirits already purchased. Its light weight and small size, along with upgradeable technology, will keep its price much lower than its predecessor.
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