The B-2 Spirit strategic bombers have not taken to the air for five months. Despite this,
What is known
Crews, maintenance personnel and military personnelcontinues to keep the bombers operational and combat-ready as the Air Force works to clear the B-2 Spirit for flight again. Everyone in the service strives to “reach full combat readiness.” This was stated by Daniel Diehl, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
</ img>
Specialists carry out aircraft checks, incl.stealth coatings. Parts were replaced on some bombers during the pause. At the same time, it is noted that the replaced parts have nothing to do with the cause of the B-2 accident, which occurred more than five months ago.
During the pause, the crews flew totraining aircraft T-38 and spent more time on simulators. The number of such trainings has been increased. In addition, the use of simulators made it possible to simulate the participation of bombers in the exercises of the US Strategic Command on nuclear readiness Global Thunder.
</ img>
The US Air Force stopped B-2 Spirit flights in the firsthalf of December 2022, when one of the planes made an emergency landing and caught fire. The fire department put out the fire. The bomber pilot was not injured. The renovation will take several years.
The incident at Whiteman Base was the second accident involvinginvolving the B-2 in less than a year and a half. The first incident happened in September 2021. The bomber left the runway due to a failure of part of the landing gear.
</ img>
It is worth noting that one of the B-2 Spirit aircraftis not in Missouri, but in Hawaii. The bomber flew missions in the region when flights were allowed. The mission included a stop in Honolulu. The aircraft will remain there until the US Air Force clears flights. However, representatives of the service said that the "Hawaiian" B-2 will be able to take off if there is an urgent need for it.