A B-2 Spirit bomber deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and F-22 Raptors from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing fly near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, during a interoperability training mission Jan. 15, 2019. (U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. Russ Scalf)
The U.S. Air Force has two of its most elite aircraft — the B-2 Spirit bomber and the F-22 Raptor — training together in the Pacific, reassuring America's allies and sending a warning to strategic competitors and adversaries about the sheer power the U.S. brings to the table.
These stunning photos show the powerful aircraft tearing across the Pacific, where the U.S. has increasingly found itself facing challenges from a rising China.
William Langewiesche is one of the best writers working today. He did the strongest reporting on what went on at the 9/11 site in New York City after the attacks. He’s also a professional pilot, which brings an extra level of understanding to his reporting on the U.S. Air Force. So when he travels to Whiteman Air Force Base, just outside Knob Noster, Missouri, to write about B-2 Spirit bombers, I pay attention.
As rumors continue to circulate on Chinese social media about the People's Liberation Army Air Force's much-anticipated stealth bomber, the first glimpses of the next-generation aircraft reportedly turned up in a brand new sizzle reelproduced by AVIC Chinese Aviation Industry Corporation. While no sources have confirmed the authenticity of these images, the video also appeared on the official Weibo page of the state-run China Central Television, making the footage something of a veiled reminder that the military's stealth program continues to steam along swiftly behind the scenes.
The U.S. Air Force has sent three B-2 nuclear-capable stealth bombers to Andersen Air Force Base on the island territory of Guam amid cooling tensions with North Korea.
