Northrop B-2 Spirit

Development began under the [[B-2 Spirit#ATB program|Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB)]] project during the [[Presidency of Jimmy Carter|Carter administration]], which cancelled the Mach 2-capable [[Rockwell B-1 Lancer#B-1A program|B-1A bomber]] in part because the ATB showed such promise, but development difficulties delayed progress and drove up costs. Ultimately, the program produced 21 B-2s at an average cost of $2.13&nbsp;billion each (~${{Inflation|US|2.13|1997|r=2}}&nbsp;billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}), including development, engineering, testing, production, and procurement.<ref name="Gao" /> Building each aircraft cost an average of US$737&nbsp;million,<ref name=Gao>[https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181.pdf "B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues Letter Report, GAO/NSIAD-97-181."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322100929/https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181.pdf |date=22 March 2017}} ''United States General Accounting Office'' (GAO), 14 August 1997. Retrieved 13 December 2018.</ref> while total [[procurement]] costs (including production, [[spare part]]s, equipment, [[retrofitting]], and software support) averaged $929&nbsp;million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=929000000|start_year=2018}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) per plane.<ref name=Gao/> The [[megaproject|project]]'s considerable [[Capital cost|capital]] and [[operating cost]]s made it controversial in the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] even before the winding down of the [[Cold War]] dramatically reduced the desire for a stealth aircraft designed to strike deep in Soviet territory. Consequently, in the late 1980s and 1990s lawmakers shrank the planned purchase of 132 bombers to 21.

Development began under the [[B-2 Spirit#ATB program|Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB)]] project during the [[Presidency of Jimmy Carter|Carter administration]], which cancelled the Mach 2-capable [[Rockwell B-1 Lancer#B-1A program|B-1A bomber]] in part because the ATB showed such promise, but development difficulties delayed progress and drove up costs. Ultimately, the program produced 21 B-2s at an average cost of $2.13&nbsp;billion each (~${{Inflation|US|2.13|1997|r=2}}&nbsp;billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}), including development, engineering, testing, production, and procurement.<ref name="Gao" /> Building each aircraft cost an average of US$737&nbsp;million,<ref name=Gao>[https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181.pdf "B-2 Bomber: Cost and Operational Issues Letter Report, GAO/NSIAD-97-181."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322100929/https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-97-181.pdf |date=22 March 2017}} ''United States General Accounting Office'' (GAO), 14 August 1997. Retrieved 13 December 2018.</ref> while total [[procurement]] costs (including production, [[spare part]]s, equipment, [[retrofitting]], and software support) averaged $929&nbsp;million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=929000000|start_year=2018}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) per plane.<ref name=Gao/> The [[megaproject|project]]'s considerable [[Capital cost|capital]] and [[operating cost]]s made it controversial in the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] even before the winding down of the [[Cold War]] dramatically reduced the desire for a stealth aircraft designed to strike deep in Soviet territory. Consequently, in the late 1980s and 1990s lawmakers shrank the planned purchase of 132 bombers to 21.

The B-2 can perform attack missions at altitudes of up to {{convert|50000|ft|m}}; it has an unrefueled range of more than {{convert|6000|nmi|km mi}} and can fly more than {{convert|10000|nmi|km mi}} with one [[aerial refueling|midair refueling]]. It entered service in 1997 as the second aircraft designed with advanced stealth technology, after the [[Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk]] attack aircraft. Primarily designed as a nuclear bomber, the B-2 was first used in combat to drop conventional, non-nuclear [[Aircraft ordnance|ordnance]] in the [[Kosovo War]] in 1999. It was later used [[Iraq War|in Iraq]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]], [[Libyan Civil War (2011)|Libya]], [[Operation Prosperity Guardian|Yemen]], and [[Iran–Israel war|Iran]].<ref name="B-2_AF_fact_sheet" /><ref name=":0" />

The B-2 can perform attack missions at altitudes of up to {{convert|50000|ft|m}}; it has an unrefueled range of more than {{convert|6000|nmi|km mi}} and can fly more than {{convert|10000|nmi|km mi}} with one [[aerial refueling|midair refueling]]. It entered service in 1997 as the second aircraft designed with advanced stealth technology, after the [[Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk]] attack aircraft. Primarily designed as a nuclear bomber, the B-2 was first used in combat to drop conventional, non-nuclear [[Aircraft ordnance|ordnance]] in the [[Kosovo War]] in 1999. It was later used [[Iraq War|in Iraq]], [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan]], [[Libyan Civil War (2011)|Libya]], [[Operation Prosperity Guardian|Yemen]], and [[United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites|Iran]].<ref name="B-2_AF_fact_sheet" /><ref name=":0" />

The [[United States Air Force]] has nineteen B-2s in service as of 2024.<ref name="airforcemag13may24">[https://www.airandspaceforces.com/damaged-b-2-retire-not-repair/ "USAF Will Retire, Not Repair, Damaged B-2; Fleet Shrinking to 19 Aircraft"]. ''Air & Space Forces Magazine''. 13 May 2024.</ref> One was destroyed in [[2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident|a 2008 crash]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/123360/b-2-accident-report-released/ |website=US Airforce |title=B-2 accident report released |access-date=25 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rolfsen |first1=Bruce |title=Moisture confused sensors in B-2 crash |url=http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_b2_crashreport_060508w/ |access-date=13 September 2009 |agency=Air Force Times |date=5 June 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719052100/http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_b2_crashreport_060508w/ |archive-date=19 July 2012}}</ref> and another was likely retired from service after being damaged in a crash in 2022.<ref name="airforcemag13may24"/> The Air Force plans to operate the B-2s until 2032, when the [[Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider]] is to replace them.<ref name="airforcetimes11feb18">{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2018-02-09 |title=USAF to Retire B-1, B-2 in Early 2030s as B-21 Comes On-Line |url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-to-retire-b-1-b-2-in-early-2030s-as-b-21-comes-on-line/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Air & Space Forces Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217052514/https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-to-retire-b-1-b-2-in-early-2030s-as-b-21-comes-on-line/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[United States Air Force]] has nineteen B-2s in service as of 2024.<ref name="airforcemag13may24">[https://www.airandspaceforces.com/damaged-b-2-retire-not-repair/ "USAF Will Retire, Not Repair, Damaged B-2; Fleet Shrinking to 19 Aircraft"]. ''Air & Space Forces Magazine''. 13 May 2024.</ref> One was destroyed in [[2008 Andersen Air Force Base B-2 accident|a 2008 crash]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/123360/b-2-accident-report-released/ |website=US Airforce |title=B-2 accident report released |access-date=25 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rolfsen |first1=Bruce |title=Moisture confused sensors in B-2 crash |url=http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_b2_crashreport_060508w/ |access-date=13 September 2009 |agency=Air Force Times |date=5 June 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719052100/http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_b2_crashreport_060508w/ |archive-date=19 July 2012}}</ref> and another was likely retired from service after being damaged in a crash in 2022.<ref name="airforcemag13may24"/> The Air Force plans to operate the B-2s until 2032, when the [[Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider]] is to replace them.<ref name="airforcetimes11feb18">{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2018-02-09 |title=USAF to Retire B-1, B-2 in Early 2030s as B-21 Comes On-Line |url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-to-retire-b-1-b-2-in-early-2030s-as-b-21-comes-on-line/ |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=Air & Space Forces Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=17 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221217052514/https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-to-retire-b-1-b-2-in-early-2030s-as-b-21-comes-on-line/ |url-status=live}}</ref>