Summary
- One B-2 will be divested due to uneconomical repair after an accident.
- B-2 Spirit’s fleet will reduce to 19, down from a high of 21.
- B-2s to keep flying until 2030s; B-21 Raider will eventually replace them.
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is one of the most potent symbols of American Air Force power projection. However, the B-2’s fleet size is limited, and it seems that the US Air Force’s limited fleet of B-2s is set to get a little smaller. It has just been revealed that one of the B-2 Spirits will not be upgraded but will be divested, reducing the fleet size to 19. This comes after it was announced that Northrop Grumman was awarded a massive $7 billion contract to overhaul the B-2 fleet and keep them flying into the 2030s.
The B-2 Spirit’s advanced technology and stealth come at a cost. It is the most expensive aircraft in US service, which caused the program to be prematurely cut and only 21 B-2s to ultimately be built. This means that even losing one of them is a significant loss. In 2008, a B-2 Spirit crashed and was destroyed on takeoff at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.
One B-2 Spirit to be divested
There are currently only 20 B-2s in service, but this is about to fall to 19. This was revealed in the Department of Defense 2025 Budget Request. The Pentagon report says one B-2 Stealth Bomber is to be divested; it states: “Justification: The B-2 is being divested in FY 2025 due to a ground accident/damage presumed to be uneconomical to repair.”
Photo: BlueBarronPhoto | Shutterstock
Only two B-2s are known to have been damaged recently. The War Zone states that the aircraft to be divested is likely the one known to have had an accident at Whiteman Air Force Base around 18 months ago.
“It seems very likely that the B-2 to be divested is the one that made an emergency landing and suffered a fire at Whiteman Air Force Base [the main B-2 operating base] in Missouri on December 10, 2022. At the time of writing, the cause of that mishap does not look to have been publicly disclosed.” – The War Zone
The War Zone states that after the B-2 accident in 2022, the B-2 blocked Whiteman’s runway (the base only has one runway) for over a week while the entire fleet was largely grounded for 6 months. It is also known that another B-2 Spirit had a similar incident in 2021, but it was taken to Northrop Grumman’s facility in Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. It is also possible this is the aircraft being divested. At this point, what will happen to the divested aircraft remains unclear (e.g. whether it will be stored or broken up).
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B-2 Spirits to fly into the 2030s
The B-2 Spirit is the world’s only strategic stealth bomber in active service until the B-21 Raider and Chinese H-20 come into service (while the F-117 remains officially retired). It is the only strategic bomber in the world able to penetrate enemy air defense and conduct deep strikes. The B-2 features low-observable technology that makes it stealthy.
Photo: USAF
It should be noted that the Air Force plans to keep the rest of its B-2 fleet in service into the 2030s. They are only expected to be retired only after the B-21 Raider is produced in sufficient numbers to replace them (and the B-1 Lancers). However, given that the Air Force is spending around $7 billion on overhauling its B-2s and that this will not be completed until the late 2020s, it is possible the B-2 Spirits will be kept in service for longer. The $7 billion equates to over $350 million per aircraft – this alone would make them one of the world’s most expensive military aircraft.
The good news is that the B-21 Raider has already entered initial low-rate production and appears to be under budget. It is expected to enter service in the late 2020s. It is still unclear when the Chinese Xi-an H-20 will enter production, although China has been teasing it will be ‘soon.’
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The Chinese are rumored to soon unveil their first stealth bomber while the American stealth bomber is entering production.
B-1 Lancers to retire before the B-2 Spirits
The Pentagon report released in April also states nine of the Rockwell B-1 Lancers will be divested in 2027. It states “The B-1 is retiring in accordance with NDAA(s) guidance. No mission savings will be realized as resources will be shifted to the B-21 bomber due to the aircraft retirement linkage to B-21 deliveries.”
Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock
The B-1 Lancer is a supersonic variable-sweep wing, heavy bomber able to carry the heaviest US bomber payloads (75,000). It was first introduced in the 1980s and over 100 were built. According to the Air Force, the US has an active inventory of 62 B-1s (test, 2).