The B-2 “Spirit” long-range strategic stealth bomber made headlines with its use in Operation Midnight Hammer to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear weapons complex. It has also been hard at work during Operation Epic Fury targeting the rest of Iran’s warmaking capacity. The B-2 first entered service in 1997 and has been the spearhead of U.S. air campaigns since its first use over Kosovo in 1999. It was used in Afghanistan in 2001, Iraq in 2003, Libya in 2011, and Yemen in 2024. It is designed to hit high-value, well-defended targets. They are the most advanced bombers in the world, yet we have only 19 in operation! Only 21 were ever built, and two have been lost due to accidents (none to enemy fire).
The Air Force originally wanted 133 B-2s. Imagine what we could do with a force this size today, and what we may need to do in a future Great Power conflict. But the program was cancelled because the Cold War was over. Why would we ever need strategic bombers again? It was a New World Order, the “end of history” and “peace in our time” (oops -- that was 1939), “the war to end all wars” (oops again, that was 1918), “perpetual peace” (sorry Kant, 1795). We now know what we should never have forgotten; history never ends, or as a friend remarked thirty years ago, “things will continue to happen.” And they have. History marches on, right over those who turn their back on it.
A compromise plan was offered for 75 B-2s but was also rejected by President George H.W. Bush. We would only complete what was already in the pipeline, 21 bombers. The Air Force immediately went to work on new bomber projects, but it was not until 2015 that Northrup Grumman won the award to build the B-21 “Raider.” And even with accelerated production, the first B-21s will not be delivered to the USAF until next year.
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