Direct proof of use
The B-2 Spirit was used by U.S. forces in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis on October 16-17, 2024. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. military forces, including U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers, conducted precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
U.S. Central Command separately described the operation as multiple precision airstrikes against underground Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen containing advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S., coalition, merchant, military, and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Sources: Austin Yemen Airstrikes Statement, CENTCOM Underground Houthi Facilities
Timeline
On October 16, 2024, in U.S. Eastern time, CENTCOM forces struck underground Houthi weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled Yemen. CENTCOM framed the strike as part of efforts to reduce Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden.
On October 17, 2024, Defense Department reporting said the United States had deployed B-2 Spirit bombers to the Middle East to destroy deeply buried targets in Yemen. The Pentagon press secretary said the sites were controlled by the Houthis and were buried deep underground.
On November 22, 2024, Whiteman Air Force Base reported that B-2 Spirit long-range bombers from Whiteman had conducted the October 16 precision strikes against five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled Yemen.
Sources: CENTCOM Underground Houthi Facilities, DOD Underground Targets Story, Whiteman Houthi Strike Story
Narrative
The documented role of the B-2 in this conflict was long-range strike against hardened weapons storage infrastructure. U.S. statements linked the target set to weapons components and advanced conventional weapons that the Houthis had used against vessels operating through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden maritime corridor.
The B-2 strike was a U.S. operation. Public official sources do not describe any transfer, possession, or operation of B-2 aircraft by another party in the conflict. The supported conflict-use claim is operational employment by U.S. forces against Houthi-controlled storage sites in Yemen.
Associated Press reporting characterized the strike as a major escalation in the U.S. response to Houthi attacks on Middle East shipping lanes and noted that damage details were not immediately clear. The same reporting placed the action inside the broader crisis in which Houthi forces had attacked merchant vessels, launched missiles toward Israel, and seized or damaged ships in the Red Sea.
Sources: Austin Yemen Airstrikes Statement, CENTCOM Underground Houthi Facilities, AP B-2 Yemen Strike
