The U.S. Air Force has made the decision to not repair one of its B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that was damaged in a ground incident, citing the high costs and complexities involved. The decision will reduce the operational fleet of B-2 bombers from 20 to 19 aircraft. The decision aligns with the Air Force’s broader strategic shift towards modernizing its aerial capabilities, notably through the introduction of the B-21 Raider, which is set to eventually replace the B-2 and B-1 bomber fleets.
The damaged B-2, which encountered a mishap involving a fire at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on December 10, 2022, has been declared “uneconomical to repair ” in a Pentagon force structure report released in April. This incident had significant operational impacts, including grounding the B-2 fleet for six months. The specifics of the mishap and the cost estimates for repairs were not detailed, but previous incidents suggest that repair costs could be prohibitively high. For instance, a similar repair in 2010 cost the Air Force $105 million, including extensive overhauls.
This aircraft is one of only 21 B-2s ever built, a fleet that has faced several operational challenges over the years due to its advanced and sensitive technology. The small fleet size and the high maintenance demands of the B-2s make each aircraft’s operational readiness crucial to the Air Force’s strategic capabilities, particularly as part of America’s nuclear triad.
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