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The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to
eighty 500 lb JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen
2,400 lb B83 nuclear bombs. The B-2 is the only
aircraft that can carry large air to surface
standoff weapons in a stealth configuration.
The B-2 is the only long-range, large-payload
U.S. aircraft that can penetrate deeply into
access-denied airspace, and the only
combat-proven stealth platform in the current
U.S. inventory. In concert with the Air Force's
air superiority fleet, which provides airspace
control, and the Air Force's tanker fleet, which
enables global mobility, the B-2 can help
protect U.S. interests anywhere in the world. It
can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles
unrefueled and more than 10,000 nautical miles
with just one aerial refueling, giving it the
ability to reach any point on the globe within
hours.
Northrop Grumman conducted the demo at its Space
Park facility in Redondo Beach. It included a
prototype active electronically scanned array
(AESA) antenna developed by the company, a
government-furnished Navy Multi-band Terminal
and an AEHF engineering model payload. Northrop
Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for
the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long-range
strike arsenal, and one of the world's most
survivable aircraft.
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