US$1.2 Billion Monster: B-2 Stealth Bomber
A B-2 stealth bomber crashed Saturday morning at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, a U.S. Pacific island territory 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii. Both pilots ejected safely and were in good condition. A board of officers will investigate the accident.
A slightly expensive B2 Bomber has crashed in Guam this morning. The B2 Bomber has a hefty sticker price of $1.2 Billion and that doesn't include the radio and A/C! The newer B2's have the Sirius Satellite radio built in it but they just don't get good reception in Baghdad. For those missions you'll want to use the CD player or get an iPod attachment.
The 2 pilots of the B2 Bomber were able to eject safely after the flying wedge crashed shortly after takeoff from its base at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. However, with a loss of $1.2 Billion we expect they'll have some questions to answer.
According to the Postchronicle, the aircraft was taking off with three others on their last flight out of Guam after a four-month deployment, part of a continuous U.S. bomber presence in the western Pacific
AFP report:
A Close-up of B-2 Bomber
The stealth crash is the first for the B-2 bomber, a radar evading long range bomber developed by Northrop Grumman that first saw combat in the 1999 air war over Kosovo. It can fly more than 6,000 miles (~11,000km) before refueling while carrying 40,000 pounds of conventional or nuclear weapons.
B-2's bombs dropping exercise off Pt. Mugu in the Pacific Ocean in 1994.
B-2 Bomber is operated exclusively by the United States Air Force. All 21 B-2's are stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base under the command of the 509th Bomb Wing and its two bomb squadrons, the 13th and 393rd. (B-2 Stealth Bomber pictures via NRI and Wikipedia)