Latest news with #B-2Spirits
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
US' B-2 bombers are ageing and complex to maintain - the untold story of one of the world's deadliest jets
B-2 stealth bomber used as Iran strike decoy stuck in Hawaii after emergency landing- A B-2 stealth bomber, part of a carefully orchestrated decoy mission related to the U.S. strike on Iran, is currently grounded in Honolulu, Hawaii after an emergency diversion. The aircraft, flying under the callsign MYTEE 14, was one of the few B-2 Spirits deployed as part of a deceptive maneuver aimed at misleading open-source intelligence watchers. Instead of heading east towards Iran like the real strike force, this bomber flew west over the Pacific, along with a string of tanker aircraft, to suggest a much larger deployment in that direction. However, the complex and maintenance-heavy B-2 didn't make it far — it had to land at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport on June 21, 2025, and is still there today. What happened to MYTEE 14 during the Iran strike? On June 21, 2025, a U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber with the callsign MYTEE 14 was deployed in a decoy mission as part of a broader strike plan against Iran. The aircraft departed from Whiteman Air Force Base and headed west across the Pacific Ocean. This maneuver was meant to mislead open-source trackers and observers into thinking the strike was coming from the west. Meanwhile, the actual strike force was moving east over Europe toward Iran, effectively using MYTEE 14 as a strategic distraction. However, the mission took a turn when the bomber experienced a technical malfunction mid-flight, prompting an emergency landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like We Can't Believe She Wore That To The Red Carpet Golfhooked Read More Undo Why was the B-2 used as a decoy? The U.S. military has increasingly relied on deception tactics to outmaneuver open-source intelligence (OSINT) that monitors flight paths and tanker movements. In this case, MYTEE 14's westward flight acted as a red herring, drawing attention away from the true direction of the strike package. This kind of misdirection highlights America's ability to leverage strategic airpower not just through force, but through sophisticated planning and psychological operations. Live Events How serious is the technical failure? The B-2 is an extremely complex aircraft, with stealth technology that requires specialized maintenance crews and parts. With just 19 operational B-2 bombers remaining in the U.S. fleet, any emergency landing outside a designated B-2 base is a logistical headache. As of now, MYTEE 14 remains grounded in Hawaii. The repair timeline is uncertain—it could take weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the malfunction and the availability of parts and personnel. What does this reveal about the aging B-2 fleet? The B-2 Spirit fleet was first introduced in the 1990s, and while still considered one of the most advanced long-range bombers in the world, it's showing signs of age-related vulnerability. Mechanical issues like this aren't uncommon, especially when these bombers are deployed far from their home base. The fact that a high-profile decoy mission ended with a stranded aircraft raises concerns about operational reliability, particularly if multiple aircraft were to experience simultaneous issues during a major conflict. Can the U.S. still claim global air superiority? The success of the decoy mission proved the effectiveness of U.S. military deception and global strike coordination. The U.S. demonstrated it can conduct multi-directional operations with enough sophistication to fool international observers. However, the B-2's emergency landing underscores a bigger issue: logistical fragility and over-reliance on an aging platform. If more of the fleet begins to falter during long missions, it could erode the bomber's reliability in future high-stakes scenarios. Why was the B-2 bomber flying west if Iran is in the east? This was a classic case of military misdirection, leveraging the power of the open-source intelligence (OSINT) community. As B-2 bombers were seen heading west across the Pacific, online aviation trackers and analysts assumed a major move toward the Indo-Pacific — possibly Guam. But according to sources and analysis by defense reporter Tyler Rogoway, this was a carefully designed feint operation. The real strike force reportedly went the opposite way — eastward over the Atlantic — to hit Iran. Only a small number of B-2s, possibly just two aircraft, took part in this deception. The operation also included refueling tankers, appearing to support a larger deployment than actually existed. It was a smart move, flipping the usual dynamic where OSINT poses risks for planners, and instead using it as a tool for confusion. How common are B-2 emergencies like this? This isn't the first time a B-2 Spirit has had to divert to Hawaii. In 2023, another stealth bomber ended up staying at Hickam for months after an emergency landing, just before the entire B-2 fleet was grounded for six months due to a crash during landing at Whiteman AFB. These incidents highlight the maintenance-intensive nature of the B-2 platform, a stealth aircraft that has been in service since the 1980s and is notoriously hard to keep airworthy. There are only 19 B-2s in operation today. That makes them low-density, high-value assets, and every diversion or maintenance issue carries significant operational implications. What is the Air Force saying about the B-2 in Hawaii? In a statement to The War Zone (TWZ), Charles Hoffman, Chief of Media Operations at Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), declined to discuss the B-2 specifically, saying: 'We will not comment on movement, deployment or posturing of forces. Air Force Global Strike Command maintains the capability to provide global strike anywhere, at the time of the President of the United States' choosing. Our forces are always ready to work alone or fully integrate with our many allies and partners. We continue to work toward delivering the promise of peace through strength.' This response aligns with standard policy — the military rarely discusses specifics about stealth aircraft operations, especially in active or sensitive missions. What's next for the B-2 program as the B-21 Raider arrives? While the B-2 bomber remains vital, it's nearing the end of its service life. Its complex stealth coatings, custom systems, and outdated parts from the 1980s make it expensive and hard to maintain. However, recent upgrades to avionics, communications, and low-observable systems are aimed at keeping it relevant until the B-21 Raider is ready. The B-21, designed as the B-2's replacement, is expected to be produced in larger numbers and offer better survivability, lower operating costs, and modern stealth capabilities. Fortunately, the program appears to be on schedule and within budget, breaking the usual pattern of cost overruns in Pentagon procurement. As Tyler Rogoway wrote: 'B-2 was considered a disaster of a program. Poster child for Pentagon death spiral. Nobody would argue 30 years later it wasn't an absolutely pivotal investment.' Why does this matter for future U.S. air power? The B-2's role in the Iran strike decoy operation and its continued operational issues underscore both the value and the vulnerability of America's stealth bomber force. With only a handful left and no easy fixes, each jet grounded in a remote location like Hawaii becomes a strategic puzzle. The U.S. needs its stealth bombers to be reliable, especially as global threats evolve and near-peer adversaries like China and Russia improve their air defenses. The hope is that the B-21 Raider won't just replace the B-2 — it will redefine long-range stealth bombing for decades to come. FAQs: Q1: Why is a B-2 stealth bomber stuck in Hawaii? A: The B-2 MYTEE 14 made an emergency landing during a decoy Iran mission. Q2: What was the B-2 bomber's role in the Iran strike? A: It acted as a decoy flying west to mislead open-source observers.
Fox News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
To bolster diplomacy and deterrence make our enemies fear the bomber
Iran isn't negotiating in good faith and President Trump warned that if it doesn't, it faces "great danger." Adversaries cannot perceive the president's warning as a bluff— especially amid high-stakes U.S. efforts to deter Russia and China. To make our enemies believe Trump's willingness and the United States' ability to hit the hardest-to-reach weapons that the adversary regime values most, the administration should stoke fears of the American stealth bomber. According to public estimates, Iran is days away from having a nuclear warhead. Any deal that permits Iran to keep a threshold nuclear program is worse than the Iran deal negotiated by then President Obama that President Trump rightly withdrew the United States from in 2018, especially after Iran's complicity in the brutal Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7th. The only acceptable outcome of a negotiation is the complete dismantlement of the program with U.S.-led international inspectors' unfettered access to provide constant verification of compliance—an outcome Iran and its patron, Russia, have hitherto blocked. In recent weeks, the U.S. sent B-52 heavy bombers from the U.K.'s RAF Fairford Base, showcasing U.S. strength, global reach, and its potential added advantage when collaborating with allies in a strong signal to Iran. Now six of the nation's stealth bombers, the B-2 Spirits, are on the tarmac at a joint U.K.-U.S. island military base on Diego Garcia. We don't know what is in each of the two internal weapons bays per bomber. But each bomber can carry conventional, nuclear, precision-guided or gravity bombs including ones that are designed to destroy the most deeply buried and hardened targets—like the ones housing Iran's illicit nuclear weapons program. Instead of letting Iran string along useless talks while its military builds up, Trump should make it clear that he is really willing to green-light the Israelis to lead a military campaign to destroy the entire nuclear program and the U.S. would play a significant assist role with its stealth bombers. He should further make it clear that he is not impressed with Iran's delay tactics and its unwillingness to declare it is willing to forgo its entire nuclear weapons program. This is a unique moment and has the potential to send a serious message about the resolve of this administration to deter major wars and to re-establish stability after four years of a cascade of destabilizing aggression across continents. Credible threats of force go hand in glove with successful diplomacy and it would be prudent for this administration to communicate this in a strategic deterrence communication campaign. Getting serious about the possibility of a military option will bolster the possibility of actual successful diplomacy towards dismantlement. That's why it's important for public officials to establish the benefit of a possible effort to assist in a military campaign: first, it would impose a deserved cost on the Iranian regime for its brutal aggression against U.S. allies and against U.S. forces; second, it would demonstrate that Trump—although willing to give diplomacy a chance—will not permit bad actors to pay lip service to negotiations while in reality buying time to build up a better military advantage; third, it will show that despite the need to improve and strengthen the military, the U.S. has the world's most capable fighting force, and the bombers can take out hardened and buried military targets. Those are messages others would receive, too, including Beijing who may be under the illusion that some of its most valuable military assets have sanctuary within the interior of China. Israel has already this year destroyed the last three of Iran's Russian-made and provided S-300 air defense systems. But Iran will get more and will be stronger when it does and so Iran is uniquely vulnerable right now. If Trump agrees to work with the Israelis to destroy the program, it certainly does not necessarily mean that he would be willing to use military force against our foremost military adversary, China, should Xi Jinping decide to invade democratic Taiwan. Trump has remained ambiguous about how he would respond in that scenario. However, if Trump does agree to collaboratively take out Iran's nuclear program, it would surely cause Xi to believe that Trump just might be willing to do the same thing with a coalition in defense of Taiwan. China has long fretted about American bombers. State-run Chinese propaganda outlets like the Global Times highlight the threat of American bombers more than other weapon systems. People's Liberation Army schools note the formidableness of American bombers, their stealth, combat effectiveness, and large payloads. The United States should use this moment, with six B-2s deployed to Diego Garcia staring down Iran to force the regime to negotiate, to boost the Iranians' and the PLA's fears and further complicate their calculations as they wonder about Trump's resolve to prevent wars and win them if our adversaries insist on them. Furthermore, Chinese leaders should be reminded in stark terms that the next generation bomber, the B-21 Raider, will be even stealthier and able to take out the more difficult to reach and highly defended weapons far inside the Chinese mainland and in underground tunnels. Here are just a few powerful ways to communicate the possible impact of the stealth bomber that could further these aims: Trump should post a video demonstrating the extraordinary destructive power of the B-2 on social media just as he has done so with the effective U.S. anti-Houthi strikes. Hegseth could follow up with a posted image of the bomber with an array of the weapons it could carry. It would be brilliant if, in a statement, Hegseth could also mention that it could also carry maritime strike weapons or hypersonic strike weapons (a message for Xi); and last, we are only a couple of months away from the 250th anniversary of America's independence and it would send a strong signal if there was a fly-over on the National Mall of the current and next generation aircraft including the B-21 bomber and F-47 fighter. The American people often heard President Biden warn of the dangers and capabilities of our enemies' militaries. It's time President Trump warned America's enemies of ours.
