The B-2A Spirit nuclear bomber makes a surprise appearance in Hawaii

In December 2022, a nuclear bomber made an emergency landing at Whiteman Base and caught fire. The US Air Force grounded all aircraft and drones that were at the base. There was no information on resuming B-2A Spirit flights, but one bomber was recently photographed in Hawaii.

Here's What We Know

The B-2 Spirit fleet remains on the ground, but individual aircraft may take off if so decided by Global Strike Command. The new photo was allegedly taken at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, which shares the runway with the Hickam military base in Honolulu.

The photo was taken on 7 April 2023, four days before the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) Global Thunder exercise. The B-2A Spirit bombers did not participate in the event.

Initially, there was no information on how or for what purpose the B-2A Spirit ended up in Honolulu. But the Global Strike Command brought clarity. As it turned out, the nuclear bomber was on a mission before the US Air Force had even stopped the planes from flying. The mission included a stopover in Hawaii. The bomber would remain here until flights resumed.

To conclude, recall that the incident at Whiteman Base took place on December 10, 2022. The aircraft of the 509th Bomber Wing was performing routine operations when a malfunction was detected. After an emergency landing, a fire broke out.

B-2A Spirit flights had already been halted for four months, although the US Air Force authorized the use of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft two weeks after the accident. It is expected to take several years to repair the bomber.

Source: The War Zone