(GEO MILITARY AFFAIRS) — In an unplanned twist to one of the most complex aerial deception operations in recent memory, a U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber made an emergency landing at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport while serving as a decoy in the lead-up to the joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility.
The incident highlights the growing strain on America’s stealth bomber fleet, with the aging and maintenance-intensive B-2 once again forced to the ground under emergency circumstances.
Operating under the callsign MYTEE 14, the B-2 was one of several aircraft involved in an elaborate diversionary maneuver designed to mislead Iranian and allied observers about the actual axis of approach in the high-stakes attack on Fordow.
While the real strike package advanced from the east over the Atlantic, the B-2 and an escort of aerial refueling tankers pushed west across the Pacific, mimicking a full-scale penetration operation toward Iran.
However, the mission was abruptly interrupted when the stealth bomber encountered technical issues and was compelled to divert to Hawaii, where it remains grounded.
Satellite imagery confirms the aircraft’s continued presence on the tarmac at Honolulu International Airport, co-located with Hickam Air Force Base, a major Indo-Pacific air hub supporting a mix of F-22 Raptors, C-17 Globemasters, and KC-135 Stratotankers.
A short video clip posted online showed the B-2 sitting idle on the apron, with a police car stationed nearby for perimeter security.
This is not the first time a B-2 has been stranded in Hawaii.
In 2023, another Spirit bomber was unexpectedly grounded at the same facility, staying for months after a technical failure, just as the entire fleet faced a grounding order following a crash at Whiteman Air Force Base.
The U.S. Air Force has not disclosed specific details about the current B-2’s technical malfunction, nor has it confirmed its precise role in the Fordow deception operation.
However, the jet’s route, timing, and association with a known decoy operation strongly suggest its mission was intended to draw enemy attention and air defense tracking away from the true path of the Fordow strike aircraft.
Such feint operations are a hallmark of advanced aerial warfare, relying on stealth, misdirection, and synchronized long-range force projection.
Yet they also expose the vulnerabilities inherent in deploying aging high-value assets like the B-2 far from home base support.
Depending on the nature of the failure, repairing the aircraft in Hawaii could pose significant logistical hurdles, requiring transport of specialized maintenance crews and potentially sensitive components across the Pacific.
When asked for comment by the TWZ, Charles Hoffman, Chief of Media Operations at Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), offered a standard non-disclosure:
“We will not comment on movement, deployment or posturing of forces. Air Force Global Strike Command maintains the capability to provide global strike anywhere, at the time of the President of the United States’ choosing. Our forces are always ready to work alone or fully integrate with our many allies and partners. We continue to work toward delivering the promise of peace through strength.”
While the B-2’s temporary grounding may not directly impact ongoing operational readiness, it serves as a stark reminder of the fleet’s age and the challenges facing America’s long-range strike capability.
With only 20 B-2 bombers ever built and fewer than that currently mission-capable at any given time, every asset matters in both deterrence and warfighting scenarios.
As tensions with Iran and other adversaries rise, the Air Force’s ability to field reliable, long-range precision strike platforms will be increasingly scrutinized.
And for now, one of those platforms remains stranded in the Pacific, caught between the demands of strategic deception and the realities of aging stealth technology.
B-2 Spirit: Aging Stealth, Rising Costs, and a History of Controversy
As one of the most iconic aircraft in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory, the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber continues to dominate global airpower conversations—but not without drawing scrutiny over its age, operational costs, and controversial past.
First flown in July 1989, the B-2 Spirit is now 36 years old and officially entered operational service on January 1, 1997.
Built during the final years of the Cold War, only 21 units were ever produced between 1989 and 2000, with just 19 currently remaining in operational service.
Despite its cutting-edge stealth and strategic reach, maintaining the B-2 fleet has become increasingly burdensome.
Operating costs are estimated between $65,000 to $135,000 per flight hour—or approximately RM305,500 to RM634,500—reflecting the aircraft’s immense post-mission maintenance demands, which often exceed 60 hours of service for each flight hour.
Annually, each B-2 demands approximately $41 million (RM192.7 million) in upkeep, with total sustainment contracts projected to cost billions of dollars through 2029.
The U.S. Air Force currently grapples with a mission-capable readiness rate of roughly 50 percent for the fleet.
Beyond the staggering costs, the B-2 program has endured several high-profile controversies.
Among the most notable incidents was the 2008 crash of the “Spirit of Kansas” at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, caused by faulty moisture-compromised sensors.
The crash destroyed the $1.4 billion bomber, making it the most expensive air crash in aviation history—equivalent to RM6.58 billion.
In 2022, another B-2 crash at Whiteman Air Force Base led to the retirement of the damaged airframe in 2024 after the cost of repairs was deemed prohibitive.
This left the fleet further diminished and reignited concerns over the aircraft’s operational sustainability.
The program’s development also drew fire from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in the 1990s, particularly for its soaring acquisition cost, which ultimately ballooned to $45 billion, or approximately RM211.5 billion.
Additionally, Northrop—the primary contractor—faced allegations in the 1980s of exaggerating progress on stealth technologies and later dealt with espionage cases.
In one instance, a Northrop employee was prosecuted for attempting to sell classified B-2 data to the Soviet Union, while another individual was convicted in 2010 for leaking propulsion system secrets.
Despite these issues, the B-2 remains one of America’s most formidable strategic assets.
Every operational sortie underscores the aircraft’s capability for long-range precision strike, nuclear deterrence, and deep penetration missions.
Yet each mission also poses logistical challenges due to the bomber’s age and complexity.
The recent emergency diversion of a B-2 to Honolulu amid a high-stakes feint in the Fordow nuclear facility strike operation exemplifies the fine balance between operational utility and technological obsolescence.
Looking ahead, the Air Force is preparing for the eventual transition to the B-21 Raider, a next-generation stealth bomber expected to enter service in the late 2020s.
The B-2 fleet is projected to retire around 2030–2032, closing the chapter on a pioneering—but costly—era in American airpower.
For now, the B-2 Spirit remains both a symbol of unmatched aerial dominance and a case study in the enduring financial and strategic complexities of stealth warfare.
— GEO MILITARY AFFAIRS