This week marks the 20th anniversary of the deployment to Guam of one of America's most important and expensive weapon systems — the B-2 Spirit.
The B-2 was originally intended to carry nuclear bombs deep into Soviet territory if the Cold War had ever turned hot. Its shape — paired with the plane's stealth systems — would enable it to be undetected by Soviet radars. The B-2's long range meant it could fly deep into enemy territory and return home.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the B-2 has been used as a conventional bomber. It made its combat debut during the Kosovo War in 1999, and has since flown sorties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.
More recently, the B-2 has been placed in bases in the Pacific as part of a strategy to deal with potential threats from North Korea.
Here's why it's one of the most feared aircraft in the world:
The B-2 bomber was shown to the public for the first time in 1988, just before the end of the Cold War. Its stealth capabilities were virtually unmatched.
The B-2 can carry sixteen 2,400 lb B83 nuclear bombs, but its official limit of 40,000 lbs of ordinance means it can carry a massive amount of Precision-guided munitions.
The B-2 has a max range of 6,900 miles on a single tank, but aerial refueling can keep the bomber up indefinitely.
On one bombing mission, two B-2s flew a 34-hour round-trip mission from Missouri to Libya, and were refueled in the air 15 times.
Each of the current 20 B-2s in service are named after a states. Here, the Spirit of New York can be seen at the British Royal International Air Tattoo in July of 2012.
The B-2 is a flying wing aircraft, so it has no fuselage or tail. This means it has low drag, high structural efficiency, and generates more lift than other fixed-wing aircraft.
The B-2's max speed is Mach 0.95, or 630 mph.
Because of its capabilities, B-2s have been deployed to Guam to keep an eye on North Korea.
They are also extremely important for keeping other countries like China and Russia in check.
At home, the B-2 is often seen in flyovers during sports events.
Harry How/Getty ImagesThe B-2 is currently one of three strategic bombers currently in use by the US Air Force, the other two being the B-52 Stratofortress, and the B-1 Lancer. The Air Force plans to retire the B-2 in the early 2030s.
