America demonstrated on Friday in Alaska, its military might as a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, flanked by US warplanes, thundered through the skies overhead of Russian President Vladimir Putin while he held his high-stakes summit with President Donald Trump regarding the Ukraine crisis.
The B-2 is intended to penetrate advanced air defenses and deliver pinpoint attacks on defended targets, as evidenced in June when US forces bombed Iranian nuclear targets.
A 22-second video that rapidly gained widespread circulation showed the two leaders walking together along a red carpet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage as the B-2 and fighters flew overhead. Putin was observed looking upwards as the bomber flew over, its engines screaming.
The airshow appeared to be meant to demonstrate the US's powerful military strength, especially to Russia, another nuclear state.
Each B-2 was around $2.1 billion, the most costly plane ever made. Northrop Grumman manufactured them, with production starting in the late 1980s but constrained by the fall of the Soviet Union. Just 21 units were finally made after the Pentagon reduced its initial acquisition plans.
With a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km) on internal fuel, the B-2 is able to attack targets anywhere in the world from bases in the continental United States. By using aerial refueling, it is possible to go anywhere in the world, from Missouri to Afghanistan, Libya, to most recently Iran.
The bomber has more than 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg) of weapons capacity, with a maximum of 16 B83 nuclear weapons. Its internal weapon bays are designed to maintain stealth while containing large ordnance, like two GBU-57A/B MOP 30,000-pound precision bunker-buster bombs. Six such bombs were reported to have been used against Iran's Fordow nuclear facility in June.
The advanced stealth form of the B-2 includes radar-absorbing materials and angular shapes, so that its radar signature is roughly equivalent to that of a small bird, actually making it almost invisible to traditional radar systems. Its two-person crew and automated systems minimize personnel requirements while maximizing the efficiency of operations.
The Russia-Ukraine war, triggered by Moscow's invasion of Kyiv in February 2022, has been responsible for thousands of deaths and is still unresolved, with Russian forces recording swift gains mere days before the summit. It is one of the deadliest wars to take place in Europe over the past eight decades.
In a joint press conference after their three-hour meeting, President Trump reiterated, "there is no deal until there is a deal," stressing that no official agreement was made, while President Putin called the session "thorough and useful."
Putin went on to report that Russia was "truly interested in bringing an end" to the conflict in Ukraine but that "legitimate concerns" still had to be met.
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