The B-2 Bomber was defined by its intended role in the Cold War. A newspaper article published shortly before the B-2 was publicly unveiled stated the B-2’s role: “The value of the expensive bombers is not what they could do once a nuclear war started but their role in deterring war. . . [the Soviets] would know that bombers they could not stop could still devastate them.”[1] However, the B-2 had its critics. The same article quoted above also points out that “opponents of the B-2 say it is unnecessary, provocative, and wasteful, especially in light of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s stated willingness to negotiate mutual arms reduction with the United States.”[2] There was more truth to this than anyone could have known at the time, because about 3 years later, in December of 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved. The Cold War had ended, so what role could the B-2 serve?
Even before the end of the Cold War, the B-2 was criticized for being expensive. At the time, a representative from a conservative think-tank claimed that “’Unless something is done about the cost of the bomber force, it will become they system that ate the defense budget.’”[3] Congress had made an order for 132 bombers, but with a cost of over $500 million, some critics believed the bomber was too expensive. The end of the Cold War only exacerbated the problem, as there did not seem to be a need for the B-2 in a post-Cold-War setting. After several debates, it was decided that the original order of 132 B-2s should be reduced to an order for 21.
The B-2 saw action for the first time in the Kosovo War in 1999. NATO was providing air support in the war, and the US unveiled the B-2. As Rebecca Grant notes in her monograph on the B-2, “Of all the remarkable achievements of the B-2 at war, four stood out: opening the air campaign, flying alone, destroying an SA-3, and taking down the Novi Sad bridge.”[4] As Grant notes, the B-2 was a part of the first attack conducted by NATO in the war. There was also a time when bad weather did not allow other planes to fly in the planned attack, but two B-2s were still able to conduct their mission. And the B-2 was able to show its true worth against an SA-3, a powerful air-defense weapon, by avoiding detection and destroying it. And, in its fourth major contribution to the war, the B-2 was able to destroy the Novi Sad bridge after other aircraft had made several failed attempts. The B-2 also served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.[5]
The Air Force intends to keep the B-2 in service until 2058, so it will be a part of the United States military for many years to come. In 2008, one B-2 was destroyed in an accident, but the other 20 remain in service, and have escaped many combat missions without being destroyed. This marvelous piece of machinery was designed for the Cold War, but has proven itself as an important tool in the United States Air Force’s arsenal in the 21st century.
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Written and posted by Nick.
[1] George C. Wilson, “Costly B-2 Bomber to Roll Into Public View,” The Washington Post, November 20, 1988, A8-A9.
[2] Wilson, “Costly B-2,” A9.
[3] Molly Moore, “Group Urges Cut in ‘Stealth’ Bomber Production,” The Washington Post, December 29, 1988, A6.
[4] Rebecca Grant, B-2: The Spirit of Innovation (2013), chap. 10, accessed April 24, 2017, http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/B2SpiritBomber/Documents/pageDocuments/B-2-Spirit-of-Innovation.pdf.
[5] Grant, B-2, chap. 10.
Bibliography
Grant, Rebecca. B-2: The Spirit of Innovation. New York, Northrop Grumman, 2001. Accessed April 3, 2017. PDF e-book.
Moore, Molly. “Group Urges Cut in ‘Stealth’ Bomber Production.” Washington Post, December 29, 1988, A6.
Wilson, George C. “Costly B2 Stealth Bomber To Roll Into Public View.” The Washington Post, November 20, 1988, A1, A8, A9, A10.