B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Explained: Specs, Cost and Combat

The B-2 Spirit is the U.S. Air Force's flying-wing stealth bomber, built by Northrop Grumman to slip past air defenses and drop nuclear or conventional bombs from the other side of the world. Only 21 were built and 19 remain, all flown from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. Counting development, each one cost roughly $2 billion. In June 2025 it was the aircraft that dropped 14 of the 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker-busters on Iran's nuclear sites, the first combat use of that bomb.

This guide covers the history, specifications, cost, fleet size and combat record, from Kosovo in 1999 to Operation Midnight Hammer and the strikes of 2026, plus the B-21 Raider that will eventually replace it. Figures come from the Air Force, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Air & Space Forces Magazine. Where they disagree, we say so.

B-2 Spirit Specifications at a Glance

Source: U.S. Air Force B-2 fact sheet. Older references list a 40,000-pound payload, so check the date on any spec sheet. The B-2 is slow next to the jets in our fastest aircraft list. Its edge is range and survivability, not speed. With one aerial refueling it can reach any point on the planet, and missions of 25 to 37 hours have been flown in combat.

History of the B-2 Spirit

Development began in 1981 as the Advanced Technology Bomber, a secret program to defeat Soviet air defenses with a bomber that radar would struggle to track. Northrop's answer was a flying wing, a tailless shape that the company's founder, Jack Northrop, had pushed since the 1940s. Computers finally made it flyable and shaped it to scatter radar energy. The Air Force says the B-2's stealth comes from the shape, composite materials and coatings that cut its radar, infrared, acoustic, visual and electromagnetic signatures.

The jet was rolled out at Palmdale, California, on 22 November 1988 and first flew on 17 July 1989. The plan was for 132 bombers. The Soviet Union collapsed, the bill ballooned, and Congress capped production, first at 75 and then at 20. A test aircraft was later upgraded to operational standard, which is how the fleet reached 21. The first bomber reached Whiteman in December 1993. The GAO put the cost of the whole program at about $44.8 billion in 1997.

The mission changed along the way. The B-2 was built to carry nuclear weapons deep into the Soviet Union. It is still nuclear-capable, but its record since 1999 is almost entirely conventional: precision bombs on hardened targets, flown on missions that start and end at Whiteman.

How Much Does a B-2 Cost?

There is no single price, because it depends on what you count. The three common figures are a flyaway cost, a cost with spares and support, and a whole-program cost divided by the 21 aircraft built.

The $2 billion figure is a program average and mixes decades of dollars. The cost of keeping the fleet flying is also climbing. Air & Space Forces Magazine reports that the Air Force's 2027 budget request seeks about $1.35 billion over five years to keep modernizing the B-2, with no retirement date set.

How Many B-2 Bombers Are Left?

Nineteen, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine, out of 21 built. Two have been lost. Spirit of Kansas crashed on takeoff at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on 23 February 2008, and both pilots ejected. The Air Force blamed moisture in air-data sensors. A second B-2 was badly damaged in a landing accident at Whiteman in December 2022 and has since been retired.

The Air Force fact sheet still lists 20 aircraft, including one test jet. That matches the count before the 2022 accident. Every operational B-2 belongs to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman. In May 2025 the Air Force sent six of them and about 250 people to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which it described as the largest deployment of B-2s in its history. Neither B-2 loss was caused by enemy fire, and none has been reported shot down.

B-2 Combat History: From Kosovo to Iran

The B-2 first saw combat in 1999 and has flown in nearly every major U.S. air campaign since. The table summarizes the record, with the source of each claim.

Not every detail has been published. The Air Force usually releases numbers for bombers and munitions, but rarely for results, and several of the claims above come from official briefings rather than independent verification.

Operation Midnight Hammer: The B-2 and Iran's Nuclear Sites

The B-2's most famous mission came on the night of 21 to 22 June 2025. Seven B-2s left Whiteman and flew east across the Atlantic, with a decoy group sent west over the Pacific to mislead observers. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said the lead aircraft dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Iran's Fordow site. In total 14 of the 30,000-pound bombs were used on Fordow and Natanz, along with Tomahawk missiles from a submarine on Isfahan. Our Midnight Hammer timeline has the hour-by-hour sequence.

How much damage was done is still argued over. The Pentagon's initial assessment described "extremely severe" damage at all three sites. The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been allowed back and says it cannot verify where Iran's enriched uranium is now, a gap we explain in our guide to who has nuclear weapons.

The B-2 went back to Iran in 2026. As part of Operation Epic Fury, four B-2s hit reinforced ballistic missile facilities on 1 March, according to U.S. officials, after a round trip of about 37 hours. We covered that strike when it happened. In April, a U.S. official told Military Times a B-2 mission lasting 36 hours used 30,000-pound bombs on an Iranian Revolutionary Guard compound.

B-2 vs B-21 Raider: What Replaces the Spirit?

The B-21 Raider, also built by Northrop Grumman, is the B-2's successor. It is a newer, smaller flying wing designed for modern air defenses. The Air Force says it will be nuclear-capable and built to fly with or without a crew. Its first operational base is Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, where the first aircraft are due in 2027. The fleet is meant to reach at least 100 aircraft, far more than the B-2 ever did. Our look at 5th and 6th generation fighters shows how the Air Force's other stealth plans fit around it.

B-21 figures are from the Air Force fact sheet. The B-21 unit price is a target average for 100 aircraft and excludes development. The Air Force has also agreed to put about $4.5 billion into extra production capacity, which would raise output by 25 percent. The B-2 was once expected to retire in the early 2030s. Now it is expected to fly alongside the B-21 for years, because there will not be enough Raiders to replace it one-for-one for a long time.

FAQ: How Much Does a B-2 Spirit Cost?

About $2 billion per aircraft when development is included. The Air Force lists the average unit cost at roughly $1.157 billion in 1998 dollars, and the GAO put the whole program at $44.8 billion for 21 bombers.

How Many B-2 Spirits Are There?

Nineteen are in service, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The Air Force fact sheet lists 20, including one test aircraft. Twenty-one were built, and two have been lost in accidents.

Can the B-2 Carry Nuclear Weapons?

Yes. The Air Force describes it as able to deliver conventional or nuclear weapons. The B-52H and B-2A are the two U.S. bombers counted as nuclear-capable in SIPRI's 2026 yearbook. Its recent combat missions, though, have used conventional bombs.

Why Is the B-2 Hard to Detect?

Its flying-wing shape, radar-absorbing materials and coatings cut the signals radar can pick up. The Air Force says it also reduces infrared, acoustic, visual and electromagnetic signatures. It is low-observable, not invisible. Mission planning, jamming and escorts matter as much as the airframe.

How Far Can the B-2 Fly?

About 6,000 nautical miles, or 11,000 kilometers, without refueling. With aerial refueling, it can reach anywhere. Combat missions have lasted 25 to 37 hours, with a two-person crew.