A B-2 Spirit pulls up for an aerial refueling with a KC-135 Stratotanker over Kansas farmland. B-2s are stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Although B-2 flying operations remain in temporary pause, the Airmen and aircraft are ready and capable to generate missions if necessary, according to Air Combat Command officials and the 509th Bomb Wing commander at Whiteman AFB. The KC-135 is assigned to the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Air Refueling Winguard. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Mark Olsen)
4/4/2008 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Although B-2 Spirit flying operations remain in temporary pause, the Airmen and aircraft are ready and capable to generate missions if necessary, according to Air Combat Command officials here and the 509th Bomb Wing commander at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.
Since the first-ever B-2 crash Feb. 23 at Anderson AFB, Guam, all B-2s have remained suspended pending the results from a safety investigation board.
"This temporary pause is the prudent thing to do after an aircraft crashes," said Brig. Gen. Garrett Harencak, the 509th BW commander. But the mission of the 509th Bomb Wing continues. "If tasked, the wing is capable and ready to execute our mission and can generate aircraft immediately."
ACC officials said a safety pause is unlike a grounding order, which would prevent all affected aircraft from flying despite mission needs.
B-2s have been flying almost 20 years and are renowned in the Air Force for their unprecedented safety record, General Harencak said.
"This is the first B-2 crash in the history of the aircraft," he said. "These bombers combined have a logged more than 14,000 sorties, 100 combat sorties and 75,000 flying hours without a single Class A mishap until now."
A mishap is categorized as Class A when there is loss of life or damage in excess of $1 million.
But General Harencak said only one Class A mishap in 20 years beats the odds of almost any aircraft.
The B-2 is a revolution in airpower, he said. A single B-2 can strike multiple-targets, instead of needing multiple aircraft to strike a single target. A combination of stealth technology, precision weapons, long range and large payload give the B-2 the unique ability to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses, providing a strong effective deterrent and combat force for the nation.
The B-2 that crashed was named the Spirit of Kansas. It had logged more than 5,000 flight hours and 1,036 sorties before Feb. 23, and it was "renowned in the maintenance community for being a great jet," said Col. Bob Dulong, the 509th Maintenance Group commander.
Because B-2 aircraft are an invaluable commodity -- in performance and cost (at $1.2 billion per aircraft) -- General Harencak said officials of the 509th BW and ACC are taking measures for safety and prevention of further loss.
"We definitely want our return to flying to be deliberate and safe," he said.
