A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber sank a target vessel in the Norwegian Sea, about 366 miles from Russia’s Arctic border, the service said Tuesday.
According to the Air Force, the strike employed the 500-lb GBU-38 and the 2,000-lb GBU-31, both precision-guided bombs from the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) family.
These munitions have been optimized as anti-ship weapons under the U.S. Air Force’s Quicksink program, which aims to expand the service’s capacity to strike enemy vessels at lower cost.
‼US drops bombs near Russian border
A #US Air Force B-2 Spirit strategic bomber has tested anti-ship bombs off the northern coast of #Norway, just a few hundred kilometers from #Russia‘s Arctic border. According to Newsweek, QUICKSINK guided munitions — GBU-38 and GBU-31 — were… pic.twitter.com/cJYFi4rhB7
— News.Az (@news_az) September 11, 2025
The Air Force said the test “advanced the development of both large and small variants of the precision strike system under evaluation.”
“This test is a clear example of how we work with trusted allies to bring new capabilities into play faster and smarter,” added Col. Scott Gunn, commander of the Air Force’s 53rd Wing.
According to the Air Force, four Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A fighters and a P-8A Poseidon supported the recent operation. The test coincided with NATO naval activity in the Barents Sea, which was monitored by Russian forces.
Quicksink was first publicly tested in 2022 from an F-15E Strike Eagle. Later trials involved sinking two decommissioned amphibious ships, including the USS Dubuque and USS Tarawa.
