'Each B-2 bomber cost $2.2 bn': Ex-IAF officer hails US strike capability, says it costs a lot of money

Former Indian Air Force officer Ajay Ahlawat on Sunday highlighted the scale and precision of the US mission to strike three Iranian nuclear facilities, noting that B-2 bombers flew over 40 hours from Missouri to Iran and back, delivering weapons despite the operation being reported live worldwide.

"B-2 bombers got airborne from Missouri in USA. Flew over 40 hrs. Delivered weapons over Iran, and returned safely. This despite, the whole world reporting it live," Ahlawat wrote on X, referring to the US airstrikes that hit Iran's Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites on Saturday.

"Such capability cost a lot of money. B-2 cost over 2.2 billion per aircraft. GBU 57 cost 20 million per bomb,” he added, pointing to the expense and sophistication of the strike mission.

All about America's B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers

The aircraft used — America's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — are among the most advanced strategic platforms in the US arsenal. Each bomber, developed by Northrop Grumman, is estimated to cost around $2.1 billion and can carry up to 40,000 pounds of weaponry while maintaining a low radar profile.

A US official told Reuters that B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. B-2 bombers flew from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the aircraft's only operational base, for a round-trip mission lasting more than 40 hours.

The bombers targeted Iran's hardened nuclear infrastructure with bunker-buster bombs, including the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to strike fortified underground facilities like Fordow.

US President Donald Trump described the strike as a "spectacular military success" and said Iran’s nuclear enrichment capability had been “completely and totally obliterated." "Fordow is gone," he declared in a post on Truth Social.

Reuters reported that six such bunker-busting bombs were dropped on the Fordow nuclear facility, once considered the most heavily protected site in Iran’s nuclear network. The B-2's range of over 6,000 nautical miles without refueling allows it to strike targets across the globe. With aerial refueling, the bomber can hit virtually any location, maintaining strategic reach from the continental United States.

Its radar-evading features, internal weapon bays, and automation systems allow the two-pilot aircraft to execute complex missions while remaining nearly invisible to enemy air defenses. The B-2 bomber’s stealth design uses radar-absorbing materials and carefully engineered angles to reduce its visibility to radar systems. Its radar cross-section is often compared to that of a small bird, allowing it to operate deep inside enemy territory with minimal detection by conventional air defenses.

In addition to carrying conventional munitions like JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), JSOWs (Joint Standoff Weapons), and JASSMs, the B-2 can also deliver up to 16 B83 nuclear bombs, making it a critical element of the US nuclear triad. Only 21 B-2s were built after the Cold War reduced demand for long-range bombers. The first unit, Spirit of Missouri, was delivered in 1993.

(With inputs from Reuters)