The Spirit of Kitty Hawk, a B-2 Spirit bomber, lands at Whiteman Air Force Base in October 2026. The Spirit of Kitty Hawk recently concluded a long and exhaustive maintenance period, ensuring the stealth bomber is in top shape to continue flying missions. (US Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hetlage)

Another B-2 Spirit Bomber Is Back in Rotation

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Of the 21 B-2 Spirit bombers built for the US Air Force, only 19 are still operational—and the Air Force has gone to tremendous lengths to keep them that way!

The B-2 Spirit, tail number 93-1086, “Spirit of Kitty Hawk,” will soon be back in operational service, the United States Air Force announced on Saturday. The aircraft, which completed its scheduled Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, made a return flight and arrived at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, earlier last week.

Whiteman AFB is home to the 509th Bomb Wing—and the entire fleet of operational B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. The aircraft have historically operated from the base on “CONUS-to-CONUS” missions—many-hour missions that start and end in the United States, allowing the bombers to remain well out of range of potential threats to forward airbases. 

“The bomber’s return marks the culmination of an extensive depot maintenance designed to preserve structural integrity, restore advanced coatings, and ensure the stealth platform remains mission ready,” the Air Force said.

About the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber

Year Introduced: 1997

Manufacturer: Northrop........

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