The US Air Force has announced that one of its B-2 bombers completed programmed depot maintenance 91 days ahead of schedule.
Programmed depot maintenance occurs every nine years and typically takes 470 days to inspect, overhaul, and repair the bomber and its stealth materials. This time, it took only 379 days.
“In the past, if an inspection identified a fuel leak, the team would have to pull parts and materials back off the aircraft, repair the leak, and redo previous work, often causing a 45-day delay,” the service stated.
In May, the US Air Force awarded manufacturer Northrop Grumman a $7-billion contract for B-2 modernization and sustainment, which also included the programmed depot maintenance. The work is expected to be fully completed in 2029.
Features
The B-2 is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering large payloads of conventional and nuclear munitions.
It can cover up to 6,000 nautical miles (6,905 miles/9,600 kilometers) without refueling.
One of its main advantages is low observability, achieved through a combination of reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual, and radar signatures.
This reduces the capability of many sophisticated defensive systems to detect and track the aircraft, increasing the B-2’s freedom of action at high altitudes.
Latest Combat Operations
Earlier this month, the US conducted multiple B-2 bomber strikes targeting five underground weapon facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
It was the bomber’s first publicly acknowledged combat mission since 2017, when a B-2 dropped 100 500-pound (226 kilograms) bombs against what the US claimed were Islamic State targets in Libya.
