Repairs Cost More Than It's Worth, With B-21 Raider on the Way

The US Air Force won't be bringing back a damaged B-2A Spirit bomber, further whittling away at the irreplaceable fleet of strategic aircraft. 

The plane in question was contrasted against one that had a minor crash in 2010. That aircraft was shipped back to Northrop Grumman for repair, ultimately rejoining the fleet to the tune of about $100 million and 4 years of labor. The latest incident won't see the same amount of TLC, however, as a recent Force Structure Report showed that the B-2 fleet would head into 2025 one plane short.

It's not too surprising, given the amount that's changed in the last 14 years. The B-2's successor has been unveiled, and the fleet is slated to retire by 2030. Back in 2010, the force couldn't stand to lose such a strategic asset, since it would be decades before it was able to be replaced with a new-production unit. 

Now, the B-2 fleet as a whole is expected to run USAF bean counters about $250 million, which would include depot maintenance, sustainment, and procurement to keep them flying. That understandably renders the roughly inflation-adjusted $144 million price tag for a single aircraft a much harder pill to swallow. Despite the B-2's limited production run - only 21 units in all - it's been able to keep up with its missions for years. Now, the B-21 Raider has entered its low-rate initial production phase, paving the way for the next-gen strategic bomber to bring the USAF into the 21st century.

FMI: www.af.mil