The Air Force's B-2 Bomber Is Getting Better Every Single Year

The B-2 Spirit Just Made a Very Special Flight – Will Receive Major Upgrade: Last month, a United States Air Force Northrop B-2 Spirit landed at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, to mark the 35th anniversary of the long-range strategic bomber's first flight on July 17, 1989. That first flight was from the facilities at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to Edwards AFB – and came less than a year after the aircraft "rolled out of its hangar" and made its public debut on November 22, 1988.

The first operational B-2 Spirit was delivered to the United States Air Force on December 17, 1993.

More Than Just a Commemorative Flight

Although the day coincided with the 35th anniversary of the first flight of the B-2, the Spirit of Pennsylvania was also sent to Edwards AFB to serve as a test bed for upgrades to the iconic bomber.

"[The aircraft] returned to the heart of the Aerospace Testing Universe, where many firsts for technological advancements take place. The reintroduction of the B-2 to a test environment is not only nostalgic, but a careful first step toward new experiments and technological upgrades that will ensure it remains a vital asset in the U.S. Air Force's fleet," Edwards AFB announced in a statement on Monday.

"In addition to functional upgrades, a focus for the new campaign will be testing the integration of open mission systems architecture, known as Spirit Realm 1," the statement added.

Last month, aerospace giant Northrop Grumman announced that the B-2 Spirit program "achieved a major milestone" with the development of the Spirit Realm 1 (SR 1). This enhancement to the B-2 promises to provide "mission critical capability upgrades to the communications and weapons systems via an open mission systems architecture." The aerospace firm added that it will directly enhance the long-range strategic bomber's combat capability, and allow the fleet of aircraft "to initiate a new phase of agile software releases."

Maj. Stephen Henderson, assistant director of operations of the 419th Flight Test Squadron, was at the controls of the Spirit of Pennsylvania during its anniversary flight and noted the significance of the occasion and what it means for the future of the program.

"This is the first time that we are going to do agile software development with Spirit Realm, so that is a big change for us," Henderson explained. "We are projected to work on that heavily this fall."

Bringing the B-2 Bomber Into the 21st Century

It would be easy to see the B-2 Spirit and believe it is cutting-edge "21st-century technology," but that's really not the case. As previously reported, the development of the B-2 Spirit began in the analog era, back when President Jimmy Carter was in office, and the program moved forward during the Reagan era when 8-bit video games were all the rage!

SR 1 will ensure it remains a capable bomber in the streaming era!

This enhancement is meant to provide the aircraft with the "mission critical capability upgrades to the communications and weapons systems via an open mission systems architecture, directly enhancing combat capability and allowing the fleet to initiate a new phase of agile software releases," the statement further noted.

"Regenerating flight test is an exciting time for the B-2 as we begin fielding new capabilities through the B-2 Spirit Realm software factory ecosystem and work hand in hand through the Combined Test Force," said Jerry McBrearty, vice president and B-2 program manager, Northrop Grumman. "The agile framework methodology within SR 1 directly supports the Air Force's initiative to adapt new capabilities in the aircraft, executing the mission today."

The Few But Capable Bombers

The U.S. Air Force currently operates a fleet of nineteen B-2 Spirits, all maintained at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri. The B-2 can already carry up to sixteen B-61 or megaton-yield B-83 nuclear gravity bombs on the rotary launchers inside its two bomb bays.

The aircraft's avionics are hardened versus the electromagnetic pulses generated by nuclear blasts. It is also the only acknowledged aircraft that can carry large air-to-surface standoff weapons in a stealth configuration. The Spirit is further able to fly 6,000 nautical miles without refueling, and travel at high subsonic speeds.

"It's a very big deal that higher levels in Air Force leadership decided we would be able to get the test jet back because the B-2 has a small fleet dynamic," Maj. Henderson added. "So the fact that they were willing to give up one of their jets to do test really speaks to the importance of what we are looking to accomplish and hopefully get those new capabilities out to the warfighter as quickly as possible."

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.