The B-2 Spirit, America’s stealth bomber icon, remains a linchpin in U.S. strategic airpower, even as it transitions toward eventual replacement by its next-generation successor, the B-21 Raider.
Born out of Cold War necessity and cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, the B-2 has been an aerial force of unmatched capabilities.
As one of three strategic heavy bombers in the U.S. Air Force, the B-2 Spirit was initially developed to penetrate the Soviet air-defense network and deliver nuclear weapons.
Over time, its role has expanded to include precision conventional attacks. It remains the most advanced bomber in U.S. service and is the only one among the three that still carries nuclear gravity bombs.
In the late 1970s, President Jimmy Carter’s administration opposed the B-1A bomber due to its high cost.
Carter, having been briefed on emerging stealth technology, which had led to the development of the F-117A stealth fighter, chose to authorize the development of the Advanced Technology Bomber, also known as the Stealth Bomber.
The details were scarce, but it was expected to feature innovative radar-evading technologies and a distinctive design.
In 1980, the U.S. Air Force issued a Request for Proposal, and by October 1981, Northrop had secured a $7.3 billion contract to produce 127 Advanced Technology Bombers.
Despite not having produced bombers since World War II, Northrop was selected due to its extensive work on stealth technology since the mid-1960s at its research facility in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Although Northrop lost the competition to build the Experimental Survivable Test Bed (XST) to Lockheed, it succeeded in developing another stealth test bed, Tacit Blue, which featured comprehensive 360-degree stealth—a crucial feature for a strategic bomber.
Northrop’s expertise in flying wing designs, which have minimal radar signatures, was pivotal. The company had previously developed four flying wing aircraft: the N-9M, XB-35, YB-49, and YB-49A. Although these models were not adopted by the Air Force, they provided Northrop with valuable experience.
By combining the flying wing design with advanced composite materials and optimized shapes to evade radar, Northrop created the ultimate penetration bomber—the B-2 Spirit.
The B-2 was developed as a black program, with the benefits and drawbacks that come with high levels of secrecy. Until its rollout in 1988, few knew what the B-2 looked like. However, this secrecy also meant that costs and development problems were hidden until 1988, with the overall program cost rising from $35.7 billion to $42.8 billion. About $1 billion was spent on strengthening the wing for potential low-altitude flights, a requirement from the Air Force.
There were allegations of fraud and overcharging, one of which was settled out of court, leading to a strained relationship between the Air Force and Northrop. This tension is believed by some to have influenced the decision to award the Advanced Technology Fighter competition, resulting in the F-22A Raptor, to Lockheed Martin instead of Northrop.
On November 22, 1988, the first B-2 was revealed at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and named “Spirit.” The bomber had a boomerang shape, a serrated rear section, and, like previous Northrop designs, lacked a tail. It featured a seamless blend of wing and body and had four General Electric F118-GE-100 non-afterburning turbofans buried deep within the fuselage. Spectators were kept 200 feet away to prevent close inspection.
Relevant articles:
– B-2 Bomber: How America’s Most Expensive Bomber Became a Legend, The National Interest
– B-2 Spirit: The $2 billion flying wing, CNN
– 10 Cool Facts about the B-2, Northrop Grumman