What You Need to Know: The United States Air Force deployed B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to conduct airstrikes against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen on Wednesday night.

-The bombers targeted and destroyed five hardened underground weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas, which housed anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, and suicide drones used to attack maritime traffic in the region.

-U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that the strikes were authorized to degrade the Houthis' capabilities and protect U.S. forces and international commerce.

-This marks the first combat use of the B-2 bombers since 2016, as the Air Force continues to utilize them until the new B-21 Raider becomes operational.

U.S. B-2 Stealth Bombers Strike Houthi Underground Bunkers in Yemen

Overnight, U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers conducted airstrikes against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen.  

The Iranian-backed rebel group has been causing much trouble for maritime traffic and the overall peace in the region for months now with drone and missile attacks against commercial and military shipping.   

B-2 Strikes   

On Wednesday night, the B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bombers targeted and destroyed five hardened underground weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.   

The underground facilities housed anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, and suicide drones used by the Houthis to attack shipping in the region.   

“This was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified. The employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a press statement.   

The B-2 Spirit made its maiden flight in 1989. The Air Force had big plans for the aircraft, initially planning on purchasing more than 100 aircraft. However, the bomber’s high cost, complex design, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union meant that the Air Force only bought twenty-one B-2 Spirits.   

“For over a year, the Iran-backed Houthis, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, have recklessly and unlawfully attacked U.S. and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis' illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces' lives at risk. At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis' capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways,” Austin stated.  

A Stealth Bomber   

The B-2 Spirit is the epitome of a stealth bomber. It looks sleek and stealthy, and it is no surprise that its upcoming replacement, the B-21 Raider, looks very much like the B-2 Spirit.   

As a strategic bomber, the B-2 Spirit can carry approximately 40,000 lbs, or around eighteen tons, of both conventional and nuclear munitions. It has a two-pilot crew and is powered by four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines that can produce 68,000 lbs of thrust and propel the aircraft to maximum speeds of around Mach 0.9, or around 700 miles per hour.   

Recently, B-2 Spirit bombers participated in the Navy’s sinking exercise in the Indo-Pacific, using anti-ship munitions to sink two decommissioned vessels. Despite the B-2’s age, the Air Force is looking for ways to keep the aircraft useful until the sixth-generation stealth strategic bomber B-21 Raider B-21 Raider arrives. Sinking Chinese warships is one of those ways.   

Soon, these aircraft will be replaced by the B-21 Raider. But until the new aircraft debuts, the B-2 Spirit remains combat-ready to take on unconventional and near-peer adversaries.  

Interestingly, before last night’s airstrikes against the Houthis, the last time the Air Force used the B-2 stealth bombers in combat was against the so-called Islamic State in Libya in 2016.   

About the Author: 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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