B-2 Spirit nuclear stealth bombers still not cleared for flight, but US Air Force specialists keep the planes on standby
The B-2 Spirit strategic bomber has not flown for five months. Despite this, the US Air Force is not sitting idle.
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Crews, maintenance personnel and military personnel continue to keep the bombers operational and combat-ready while the US Air Force works to allow the B-2 Spirit to fly again. Everyone in the service is striving to "go to full combat readiness". Daniel Diehl, commander of the 509th Bomber Regiment at Whiteman, Missouri, said.
Specialists are inspecting the aircraft, including the stealth coating. Parts were replaced on some bombers during the pause. It is noted that the replaced parts have nothing to do with the cause of the B-2 crash, which occurred more than five months ago.
During the pause, the crews flew T-38 training aircraft and spent more time on simulators. The number of such training sessions was increased. In addition, the use of simulators allowed the bombers to simulate participation in the US Strategic Nuclear Readiness Command's Global Thunder exercise.
The US Air Force halted B-2 Spirit flights in the first half of December 2022 when one of the aircraft made an emergency landing and caught fire. Fire services put out the fire. The bomber's pilot was not injured. Repairs will take several years.
The incident at Whiteman Base was the second accident involving a B-2 in less than a year and a half. The first incident occurred in September 2021. The bomber went off the runway due to the failure of part of the landing gear.
It is worth noting that one of the B-2 Spirit aircraft is not in Missouri but in Hawaii. The bomber was flying missions in the region when flights were permitted. The mission included a stopover in Honolulu. The aircraft would remain there until the US Air Force cleared the flights. However, service officials have stated that the B-2 Hawaii will be able to take off if there is an urgent need to do so.
Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine
