B-2 Bomber Declared Ready for Combat

Northrop Grumman Corp.’s B-2 bomber has been declared ready for combat by the Air Force. “This is the most up-to-date heavy bomber flying in the world today,” said Kenneth Bacon, a Pentagon spokesman. Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman has delivered 13 B-2s to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The stealth planes have undergone operational testing to ensure that they are capable of performing up to specifications. The Air Force will spend about $45 billion for 21 of the wing-shaped, radar-evading bombers. A B-2 can carry 16 to 20 nuclear or conventional weapons and has a range of more than 11,000 miles with one aerial refueling. Seattle-based Boeing Co. and General Electric Co. of Fairfield, Conn., are Northrop Grumman’s primary subcontractors.