Aircraft & UAVs

B-2 Spirit

The B-2 Spirit is a U.S. Air Force low-observable strategic heavy bomber built by Northrop Grumman for long-range conventional and nuclear strike. Its flying-wing design, intercontinental range, and heavy precision payload made it a central JDAM carrier in Kosovo and a specialized option for later defended or deeply buried targets in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and Iran strike operations.

B-2 Spirit, Low-observable strategic heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: B2 Spirit Image

Role in Conflicts

2016 U.S. Campaign Against ISIS in Libya
Long-Range Strike
Side
United States and Libyan Government of National Accord

Two U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirits flew an approximately 30-hour sortie supporting Jan. 18, 2017 precision strikes that destroyed two Daesh camps southwest of Sirte in coordination with Libya's Government of National Accord.

2025 Israel-Iran Conflict
Long-Range Strike
Side
United States

B-2 Spirits were used by U.S. forces in the 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict during Operation Midnight Hammer on June 22, 2025, when seven bombers carried 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
Low-observable strategic heavy bomber
Service note
Cold War design; modern long-range strike service
Designer
Northrop
Designed
1970s-1980s
Unit cost
Approximately $1.157 billion in fiscal 1998 constant dollars
Produced
1989-2000
Number built
21 aircraft originally produced; 20 active-force aircraft listed by the Air Force in May 2026, including one test aircraft

Specifications

Crew
Two: pilot and mission commander
Payload
60,000 lb according to the U.S. Air Force; Northrop Grumman lists more than 40,000 lb
Range
Intercontinental; 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled according to Northrop Grumman
Ceiling
50,000 feet
Powerplant
Four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofan engines, each rated at 17,300 lb thrust
Dimensions
172 ft wingspan, 69 ft length, 17 ft height
Role
Low-observable strategic bombing with conventional or nuclear weapons
Variants
  • B-2A Spirit
Carried Munitions

Open sources document the B-2 with both combat munitions and test or integration loads; compatibility-only rows are noted as such.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, Air-delivered deep-penetration guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance PenetratorDeep-penetration guided bomb

The Air National Guard article says B-2 Spirit bombers carried GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs in Operation Midnight Hammer, and the Defense Agency article documents the same strike package.

Sources: Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike Mission, Defense Agency Contributed Toward Operation Midnight Hammer Success

AGM-158C LRASM, Air-launched stealth anti-ship cruise missile, MunitionsAGM-158C LRASMAnti-ship cruise missile

Pacific Air Forces reported that a B-2 Spirit deployed an AGM-158C LRASM during a Valiant Shield 2026 live-fire sinking exercise north of the Mariana Islands.

Sources: U.S. Airmen and Sailors Conduct B-2 LRASM Live-Fire Sinking Exercise

AGM-158 JASSM, Air-launched standoff cruise missile, MunitionsAGM-158 JASSMAir-launched cruise missile

CSIS Missile Threat lists the B-2 Spirit as a JASSM carriage aircraft and says the bomber can carry up to 16 missiles.

Sources: JASSM / JASSM ER

AGM-154 JSOW, Air-launched guided glide bomb, MunitionsAGM-154 JSOWAir-launched guided glide bomb

NAVAIR documented first-ever live JSOW releases from the B-2 and said the B-2 would carry JSOW A and JSOW B.

Sources: Live Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) tested on B-2

GBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound JDAM bomb, MunitionsGBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition2,000-pound JDAM

Air Force video metadata documents GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions being loaded into B-2 Spirit aircraft for QUICKSINK maritime testing.

Sources: B-2 Spirit loads JDAMs for maritime test

GBU-31(V)3/B Joint Direct Attack Munition, 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided hard-target penetrator bomb, MunitionsGBU-31(V)3/B Joint Direct Attack Munition2,000-pound hard-target JDAM

The Air Force JDAM fact sheet lists the B-2A as compatible with JDAM and identifies the GBU-31(V)3/B BLU-109 lane in the JDAM family.

Sources: Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet

GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, 500-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb, MunitionsGBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition500-pound JDAM

Air Force imagery shows GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions being loaded onto a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber during QUICKSINK maritime-defense testing.

Sources: Air Force Demonstrates Low-Cost Maritime Defense Capability with QUICKSINK

GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb I, 250-pound GPS/INS-guided glide bomb, MunitionsGBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb I250-pound glide bomb

The Air Force SDB fact sheet lists the B-2 Spirit as a future platform for the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb; this is compatibility evidence, not documented B-2 combat carriage.

Sources: GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb Weapon System

B61-12 Joint Test Assembly, non-nuclear nuclear-gravity-bomb test assembly, MunitionsB61-12 Joint Test AssemblyNon-nuclear nuclear-gravity-bomb test assembly

A B-2A Spirit released a B61-12 Joint Test Assembly at Tonopah Test Range during the June 14, 2022 RATS capstone test.

Sources: B-2 executes new nuclear tactic in B61-12 JTA capstone test

Timeline

B-2 Spirit Key Events

  1. Public rollout

    The first B-2 was publicly displayed at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California.

    Sources: B-2 Spirit

  2. First flight

    The B-2 made its first flight and entered the Air Force flight-test program at Edwards Air Force Base.

    Sources: B-2 Spirit

  3. Combat debut over Kosovo

    B-2s made their combat debut during Operation Allied Force, pairing long-range stealth sorties with JDAM employment.

    Sources: B-2 Spirit, Air Force JDAM Fact Sheet

  4. Operation Odyssey Dawn strike

    Three B-2 Spirits returned to Whiteman after striking hardened Libyan aircraft shelters with 45 2,000-pound JDAMs.

    Sources: Air Force Global Strike Command Supports Operation Odyssey Dawn

  5. Sirte-area Daesh camps struck

    Two B-2s returned after an approximately 30-hour sortie supporting precision strikes against Daesh camps southwest of Sirte.

    Sources: B-2 Spirits Destroy Daesh Camps in Libya

  6. Operation Midnight Hammer

    Seven B-2s carried 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators against Iranian nuclear facilities.

    Sources: Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike Mission, Historically Successful Strike on Iranian Nuclear Site

  7. B-2 LRASM live-fire exercise

    A B-2 Spirit deployed an AGM-158C LRASM during a Valiant Shield 2026 live-fire sinking exercise in the Pacific.

    Sources: U.S. Airmen and Sailors Conduct B-2 LRASM Live-Fire Sinking Exercise

Media

B-2 Spirit Videos

B-2 Spirit Images

B-2 Spirit, Low-observable strategic heavy bomber, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: B-2A Spirit Image
Related Weapon Systems
GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, Air-delivered deep-penetration guided bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance PenetratorAir-delivered deep-penetration guided bombThe GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator is a Boeing-built U.S. Air Force GPS-guided bunker-buster bomb for hardened and deeply buried facilities. Developed from a Defense Threat Reduction Agency technology demonstration and integrated for B-2 Spirit employment, it became operationally documented in June 2025 when U.S. B-2s used 14 weapons against Iranian nuclear target areas during Operation Midnight Hammer, an event tracked in both the catalog's U.S.-Iran and 2025 Israel-Iran conflict scopes.
GBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109), 2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configuration, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-31 JDAM (Mk 84 / BLU-109)2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb configurationThe GBU-31 JDAM is the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition configuration built around Boeing's GPS/INS tail kit and either a Mk 84-class general-purpose bomb body or a BLU-109 hard-target penetrator body. U.S. military and Federal Register sources distinguish the KMU-556 Mk 84 configuration from the KMU-557 BLU-109 configuration, while direct conflict-use reporting traces GBU-31/JDAM employment from Kosovo and Afghanistan to Iraq, Yemen, Operation Inherent Resolve, the Israel-Hamas war, and the 2025 Israel-Iran conflict.
F-4 Phantom II, Twin-engine, two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsF-4 Phantom IITwin-engine, two-seat supersonic fighter-bomberThe F-4 Phantom II is an American twin-engine, two-seat supersonic fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell for U.S. Navy fleet defense and later adopted by U.S. and allied air arms for interception, strike, reconnaissance, and electronic-warfare roles. More than 5,000 were built, with source-backed catalog use spanning Israeli War of Attrition strikes, U.S. F-4G Wild Weasel missions in the Gulf War, Turkish F-4E 2020 strikes against PKK targets, Turkey's RF-4E loss over the Syria crisis, and attributed Iranian anti-ISIS strikes in Iraq.

Related News

Sources

Air Force JDAM Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports JDAM compatibility with the B-2 Spirit. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-2 SpiritPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports B-2 mission, contractor team, service background, inventory, unit cost, specifications, and direct B-2 combat use in the 1999 Kosovo War / Operation Allied Force, 2001 War in Afghanistan, and 2003 Iraq War. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-2 Technical DetailsPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports manufacturer technical details, range, payload, propulsion, and low-observable strategic bomber role. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Air & Space Forces B-2 ProfilePublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports production total and combat-history context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-2 Spirits Destroy Daesh Camps in LibyaPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports direct 2016 U.S. Campaign Against ISIS in Libya use of B-2 bombers in the Jan. 18, 2017 strike against Daesh camps near Sirte. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Air Force Global Strike Command Supports Operation Odyssey DawnPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports direct 2011 First Libyan Civil War use of B-2 Spirits in Operation Odyssey Dawn strikes against hardened aircraft shelters in Libya. | Accessed: 2026-07-04U.S. Strikes Underground Targets in YemenPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports B-2 use against hardened Houthi underground weapons storage locations in Yemen during the 2023 Red Sea Crisis. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike MissionPublisher: Air National Guard | Note: 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict / 2020 United States-Iran Conflict: used by U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers when they carried 14 GBU-57 bombs during Operation Midnight Hammer. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Defense Agency Contributed Toward Operation Midnight Hammer SuccessPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict B-2 Spirits used by U.S. forces in the June 2025 Operation Midnight Hammer strike package against Iranian nuclear facilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Historically Successful Strike on Iranian Nuclear SitePublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict B-2 Spirits used by U.S. forces in Operation Midnight Hammer on June 22, 2025 against Iranian nuclear facilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Operation Epic Fury CENTCOM BriefingPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports direct 2026 Iran War use of U.S. B-2 bombers against deeply buried Iranian ballistic missile launchers during Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Operation Epic Fury Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports 2026 Iran War B-2 bomber employment and target categories during Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-2 executes new nuclear tactic in B61-12 JTA capstone testPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the B-2A Spirit releasing a B61-12 Joint Test Assembly during the capstone test at Tonopah Test Range. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Air Force Demonstrates Low-Cost Maritime Defense Capability with QUICKSINKPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports direct carriage evidence: Air Force imagery shows GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions being loaded onto a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber during QUICKSINK maritime-defense testing. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B2 Spirit ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain U.S. Air Force image provenance for the primary B-2 Spirit image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-2A Spirit ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain U.S. Air Force image provenance for the gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Live Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) tested on B-2Publisher: Naval Air Systems Command | Note: Supports B-2 live JSOW releases, planned JSOW A/B carriage, and operational software integration. | Accessed: 2026-07-04JASSM / JASSM ERPublisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports B-2 JASSM carriage context by stating the B-2 can carry up to 16 JASSM missiles. | Accessed: 2026-07-04GBU-39B Small Diameter Bomb Weapon SystemPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb technical background and Air Force listing of the B-2 Spirit as a future SDB platform. | Accessed: 2026-07-04U.S. Airmen and Sailors Conduct B-2 LRASM Live-Fire Sinking ExercisePublisher: Pacific Air Forces | Note: Supports B-2 Spirit deployment of an AGM-158C LRASM during Valiant Shield 2026 live-fire maritime strike testing. | Accessed: 2026-07-04B-2 Spirit loads JDAMs for maritime testPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports B-2 carriage context by documenting Airmen loading GBU-31 and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions into B-2 Spirit aircraft for a QUICKSINK maritime test. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Three New WeaponsPublisher: Department of the Air Force History and Museums Program | Note: Supports B-2 Spirit use of the GBU-31 JDAM family. | Accessed: 2026-07-04