The Air Force has grounded its entire B-2 Spirit fleet and will inspect each stealth bomber after one of the planes caught fire during an emergency landing earlier this month.
The multi-role bomber, which was first unveiled in 1989, is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. The fleet of 20 aircraft is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
A B-2 Spirit experienced an undisclosed malfunction during the flight that resulted in an emergency landing at Whiteman on December 10. No one was hurt.
The bat-shaped B-2 stealth bomber with its flying wing design flies over Whiteman Air Force Base May 8, 2003 near Knob Noster, Missouri.
(Joe McNally/Getty Images)
In this handout photo, a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base, MO, stands on the flight line.
(Bennie J. Davis/USAF via Getty Images)
Another B-2 had to make an emergency landing in September 2021 after the bomber’s hydraulic system failed.
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A schedule for the grounding of the B-2 fleet was not released. A spokesman for the 509th Bomb Wing did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.
The B-21 Raider, the replacement for the B-2 Spirit, was introduced this month by the Air Force.
(US Air Force)
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The Air Force unveiled the B-2’s replacement earlier this month, the B-21 Raider.
“The Raider was built with an open system architecture, which makes it highly adaptable,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. “The B-21 is multifunctional. It can handle anything from intelligence gathering to battle management to integrating with our allies and partners.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
