Stealth Bombers Ready for Duty

Six B-2 stealth bombers now are available for nuclear as well as conventional attack missions, including dropping earth-penetrating nuclear weapons that can burrow several hundred feet underground. The B-2s formally become part of the Pentagon’s “nuclear war plan” today, said a senior military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. That means the aircraft, its crew, weapons and support systems have all passed numerous tests and are available for potential duty. The officer said the plane will carry a weapon designed to home in on hidden enemy command-and-control bunkers and other military-related sites. Libya, Iraq and North Korea are among nations believed to have military facilities constructed deeply underground.