During the strike on Iran’s nuclear sites in the Israel-Iran war, the United States had deployed a B-2 stealth bomber as part of a decoy mission.
Deployed as part of a deceptive maneuver aimed at misleading open-source intelligence watchers this bomber failed to return to its base and is currently grounded in Honolulu, Hawaii after an emergency diversion, reported the Economic Times.
The question that arises now is whether the B-2 fleet of bombers are ageing?
The stealth technology makes B-2 an extremely complex aircraft. The jet requires specialised maintenance crews and parts and with any emergency landing outside a designated B-2 base could prove to be a logistical pain for the US as repair time could take weeks or even months. There are only 19 operational B-2 bombers remaining in the U.S. fleet, reported the media outlet.
Though the B-2 fleet is considered amongst the most dangerous in the world, it is to be noted that the fleet was first introduced in the 1990s and is showing signs of ageing. Mechanical issues, particularly deployed outside the country or home base isn’t uncommon.
The high-profile decoy mission that ended with a stranded aircraft is a point in case about the operational reliability.
Logistical fragility and over-reliance on an ageing platform is what comes out of the B-2’s emergency landing. And in scenarios where long missions are required none of the jets from the fleet can afford to falter.
This isn’t the first time a B-2 bomber had to divert. According to the Economic Times, in 2023, another stealth bomber ended up staying at Hickam air base in Hawaii for months after an emergency landing. Just after that a crash during landing at Whiteman AFB forced the US to ground the entire B-2 fleet for six months