Damaged B-2 Won’t Be Repaired, Fleet To Shrink To 19 Jets
The Air Force deeming one of its B-2s to be “uneconomical to repair” comes as it pushes ahead with work on the new B-21 Raider.
BY
JOSEPH TREVITHICK
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PUBLISHED MAY 10, 2024 6:36 PM EDT
The U.S. Air Force has decided not to repair a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber involved in a mishap because of the costs and complexities involved and will divest the aircraft instead. The news of striking one of the precious B-2s from its fleet comes as the Air Force continues to move toward fielding its new B-21 Raider stealth bombers as replacements for its existing B-2s, as well as its supersonic swing-wing B-1 bombers.
Details about the Air Force's decision to get rid of the damaged B-2, which is set to formally happen sometime in the next year or so, were included in an annual force structure report that the Pentagon released in April. Aviation Week was among the first to report on this development. There are currently just 20 B-2s in the service's inventory, including the damaged one.
"The B-2 is being divested in FY 2025 due to a ground accident/damage presumed to be uneconomical to repair," according to the Pentagon report. Fiscal Year 2025 begins on October 1, 2024.
https://www.twz.com/air/damaged-b-2-wont-be-repaired-fleet-to-shrink-to-19-jets
