Due to its flying wing configuration, the B-2 Spirit is nearly impossible to detect.
The recent dispatch of B-2 bombers to the Indian Ocean has caught the attention of U.S. allies and adversaries alike. As tensions in the Red Sea between American troops and the Yemen-based Houthi rebels continue to ramp up, the presence of these legendary bombers on the island of Diego Garcia should serve as a warning to all Iran’s proxy affiliates in the region. Since the Diego Garcia base is within striking distance of both Iran and Yemen, the B-2s could theoretically be deployed in any bombing raids targeting Iran’s nuclear assets.
In images captured by a private satellite company, six B-2s as well as potential shelters for the bombers are depicted. The Pentagon essentially confirmed the presence of these bombers on the island, noting that the United States has sent “other air assets” to the region, as “The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security … and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region.”
Known for its infamous “flying wing” configuration, the B-2 Spirit bomber embodies innovative stealth technology. The bomber series was derived from the DARPA-led 1975 Experimental Survivability Testbed program. The stealth technology that resulted from this project culminated in the F-117 stealth attack aircraft and was later incorporated into the B-2 stealth bomber concept. After a brief period of cancelation under the Jimmy Carter administration, the B-2 program was resurrected by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s under the Advanced Technology Bomber initiative. Designated under the moniker “Aurora,” the Northrop Grumman B-2 design was kept tightly under wraps during its development phase. It wasn’t until 1988 that the bomber was first publicly displayed in the U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.
The B-2 bomber was constructed to be able to fly all-altitude attack missions with long ranges and can therefore fly to virtually any location across the globe within a matter of hours. Due to its flying wing configuration, the Spirit is nearly impossible to detect. Its low observability comes from a combination of reduced acoustic, electromagnetic, visual, infrared, and radar signatures. In addition to its impressive stealth, the bomber truly represents one of the most lethal aircraft to ever take to the skies. Capable of lugging up to 40,000 pounds of ordnance within two separate weapons bays located in the center of the aircraft, the B-2 can launch gravity nuclear bombs or conventional bombs under GPS-denied or degraded conditions.
Considering the B-2s strike capability, the Houthi rebels and Iran’s other regional affiliates should be concerned these bombers are now located even closer to their doorsteps. In addition to redirecting these bombers to the Indian Ocean, the White House has deployed a second carrier strike group to join the USS Harry S. Truman out in the Red Sea. Time will only tell if the Houthis will take the very direct hint and cease hostilities in these critical waters.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.
