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The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is a stealth bomber able to drop conventional and nuclear weapons. Its development was a milestone in the modernization program of the U.S. Department of Defense. The B-2s stealth technology is intended to help the craft penetrate defenses previously impenetrable by combat aircraft. The original procurement of 135 aircraft was later reduced to 75 in the late 1980s. In his 1992 State of the Union address, President George H. W. Bush announced total B-2 production would be limited to 20 aircraft (later increased to 21 by refurbishing a test aircraft). This reduction was largely a result of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which effectively rendered void the Spirit's primary mission. |
