Science
$2.1 Billion Stealth Bomber Built With Radar‑Absorbing Material That Makes It Nearly Invisible
The United States began a bombing operation against Iran on Saturday night, June 21, utilising the B-2 Spirit, a stealth bomber that cost $2.1 billion.
The US targeted three Iranian nuclear installations with “ground penetrating warheads,” abandoning the earlier uncertainty over whether it would join Israel in taking direct action against Iran. This was a very concerning move for international relations.
Following his declaration that “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE” following the commencement of attacks against Iran, President Donald Trump urged the Iranians to engage in negotiations “otherwise they’ll get hit again.”
‘Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people’, Iranian officials said in response to the bombing, calling the US action ‘outrageous, exceedingly dangerous, lawless and criminal activity’ and vowing ‘everlasting consequences’.
Trump brought up the’monumental harm’ the US had caused to Iranian nuclear facilities, while other nations demanded de-escalation.
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
Craters created by American aircraft utilising GBU-57 ‘bunker buster’ missiles fired from B-2 stealth bombers were visible on satellite photos.
American submarines fired 30 Tomahawk missiles at Iranian nuclear bases in Natanz and Esfahan, while six B-2 stealth bombers dropped a dozen missiles on Iran’s main nuclear complex in Fordow.
The B-2 aircraft, which costs more than two billion dollars for a single unit, went halfway across the world to attack Iran over the weekend after taking off from a US facility in Missouri.
They can carry some of the most powerful weapons the US possesses, including nuclear warheads, and they can refuel in midair, extending their flight time by up to 40 hours.
In 2019, Military Times had the opportunity to see inside the cockpit of one of these bombers during flight, giving them a unique perspective on what the B-2 looks like for its pilots.
Why is a B-2 so difficult for radar to detect?
The United States Air Force claims that the B-2 is a “low observable” bomber, meaning that even the most advanced defence systems have a very hard time detecting it.
The aircraft, according to the statement, is made for “reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual, and radar signatures,” which essentially means that it is very hard to detect.
The USAF claims that a combination of “composite materials, special coatings, and flying-wing design” is responsible for the B-2’s “stealthiness,” even if many specifics are “classified.”
How they build it
Despite being covered in “top secret radar absorbent materials,” the B-2’s form alone makes it difficult for radar to detect, according to the YouTube channel MegaBuilds.
They said that radar would have as much trouble spotting a B-2 as it would ‘a pigeon’, and they likened it to a plane wearing a ‘invisibility cloak’, albeit they were unable to identify them precisely due to their high level of secrecy.
Radar operates by emitting radio waves that, when they strike an object, bounce back. However, because the B-2 is made to be as sleek and smooth as possible, there are very few surfaces that would cause radio waves to bounce back.
Since the US does not license the production of the B-2 Spirit to any other nation, no one else is permitted to make it or discover the precise mechanism that makes it so effective, which contributes to its difficulty in detection.
The future of US involvement in Iran
It is difficult to predict how the ongoing crisis between Israel and Iran will conclude now that the US is fully involved.
Although appeals have been made for Iran to return to the negotiating table, the latest American bombing has done absolutely nothing to advance conciliation.
Iran has launched its own missiles towards Israel, while Israel has launched more strikes on Tehran, the Iranian capital.
There are now worries that Iran would try to close the Strait of Hormuz, which would have global repercussions because a large portion of the world’s oil supply goes through there.
Iran, meanwhile, fired missiles towards US installations in Iraq and Qatar.
Although Donald Trump stated on social media that it is “not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” the United States has maintained that its actions in Iran have “not been about regime change.”
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