Here’s How a 2 Billion Dollars Flying Wing can Disappear from the Radar Screen

Unveiling some of the unique technologies that have shaped the most iconic stealth bomber, the B-2 Spirit

“A B-2 Spirit soars after a refueling mission over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday, May 30, 2006. The B-2, from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., is part of a continuous bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III)”. Caption credit: Wikipedia Commons. Image credit: Wikipedia Commons.

Conceived and developed to perform the USAF’s vital penetration missions deep into enemy territory, the B-2 is capable of evading the most advanced radars and defense systems up to date and deploy its ordnance — which could include nuclear weapons — to highly sensitive and strategic targets.

The B-2 Spirit is a very special aircraft from every point of view. It was conceived to be the stealthiest asset of its time using curved surfaces instead of facets, like those used in the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.

“A US Air Force (USAF) F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter aircraft flies over Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada (NV), during the joint service experimentation process dubbed Millennium Challenge 2002 (MC02). Sponsored by the US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), the MC02 experiment explores how Effects Based Operations (EBO) can provide an integrated joint context for conducting rapid, decisive operations (RDO)”. Image source: Wikipedia Commons.

It belongs to the third generation of low-observable aircraft which were designed using computer technologies of the ’80s, with an estimated Radar Cross Section (RCS) of less than 0.1m².

This means that the B-2’s radar echo intensity is the same as that of a flying bird. That is really mind-blowing, considering that the B-2 has a wingspan of 52m (170ft).