On February 24, the United States announced that at least one U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing joined Navy Carrier Air Wing’s eleven fighters for a long-range maritime strike exercise off California.
The drill highlights how stealth bombers and carrier aviation are integrating to counter anti-access threats and reinforce U.S. power projection in a contested Indo-Pacific environment.
B-2A Spirit On Display. Image by Editor Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
B-2A Spirit Stealth Bomber USAF Museum. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, receives fuel from a 100th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker during Global Thunder 20, Oct. 28, 2019. Global Thunder is an annual command and control exercise that provides training opportunities for all of U.S. Strategic Command’s mission areas, tests joint and field training operations, and has a specific focus on nuclear readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Trevor T. McBride)
The fighters were from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 from the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and trained alongside a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from the 509th Bomb Wing, flying from Whiteman Air Base, Mo., on an unspecified date.
With rising great power competition between China and the United States, the US showcased the B-2’s stealthy profile alongside F-35C and F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft equipped with the new long-range AIM-174B “Gunslinger missiles.
Meet The AIM174B “Gunslinger” Missile:
The AIM-174B “Gunslinger” is a US Navy very long-range, air-to-air missile (AAM) that entered service in 2024, designed for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
Derived from the RIM-174B (SM-6) surface-to-air missile, this weapon, nicknamed “Gunslinger,” boasts a range potentially exceeding 300 miles (over 460 km) to engage high-value assets (C4ISTAR).
The “Gunslinger” is estimated to have speeds around Mach 3.5. It uses a seeker derived from the AIM-120 AMRAAM, incorporating inertial guidance and active/semi-active radar homing.
Equipped with a large, 140-lb high-explosive blast-fragmentation warhead, significantly larger than that of the AMRAAM.
Primarily for long-range air-to-air combat against bombers and advanced aircraft, with secondary capabilities against ships, ground targets, and ballistic/hypersonic missiles.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Hunter Kaloci, 393rd Bomber Generation Squadron crew chief, adjusts a wheel chock in front of a parked B-2 Spirit aircraft at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, Sept. 20, 2025. The 393rd BGS provides worldwide combat capability by planning and conducting all aspects of on-aircraft maintenance, launch and recovery of B-2 aircraft in direct support of Joint Chiefs of Staff nuclear and conventional taskings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Hastings)
FILE PHOTO — The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, Commander, Naval Air Forces and Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet, stated in an article that “On the weapons front, the biggest news of the past year was the unveiling of the AIM-174B Gunslinger long-range air-to-air missile. The air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), this weapon gives the Super Hornet the ability to ‘out-stick’ adversary fighters and operate inside the weapons engagement zone.”
Gunslinger is the longest-range air-to-air missile to enter American service since the Cold War-era AIM-54 Phoenix. The missile has been fielded on forward-deployed naval fighters in Japan.
The Navy Is Looking Ahead To Near-Peer Competition In The Pacific:
Cheever added that, “By 2075, based on the current trajectory, China will have its own complement of aircraft carriers, possibly rivaling the U.S. Navy in number. The PLA Navy is rapidly gaining operational experience with its carriers, submarines, and high-end surface combatants, while the PLA Rocket Forces and Air Force are fielding new anti-ship missiles.
“The threats 50 years from now will be greater from the seabed to space, so the whole U.S. joint force will face a more complicated/complex problem. Our job is to meet that challenge, stay ahead of it, and defend this great nation.”
That’s why this current sortie showcased a networked “kill web” capable of engaging targets hundreds of miles at sea. The event, disclosed through Whiteman Air Force Base’s official “X” account (formerly Twitter), underscored the enduring importance of joint air-maritime integration for U.S. power projection and deterrence.
The B-2’s Anti-Ship Role Is Increasing:
The Air Force’s B-2 Spirit is taking on a bigger role in its anti-ship strategy, primarily in the testing and expeditionary deployment of Quicksink. Back in September, a B-2 Spirit from Whiteman AFB teamed up with Norwegian F-35s for an @AFResearchLab QUICKSINK exercise, where precision-guided munitions struck a maritime target in the North Atlantic.
Currently, the B-2 Spirit is the only operational strategic stealth bomber in the world capable of penetrating advanced integrated air defense systems to deliver both conventional and nuclear ordnance.
With its flying-wing configuration, stealth, radar-evading materials, and internal weapons bays, the B-2 can approach maritime or land targets with minimal radar cross-section, acting as a survivable deep-strike node in the joint kill chain.
With aerial refueling capability, the B-2 has unlimited range and can take out maritime, land-based, and command-and-control high-value targets.
The joint interoperability between the Air Force and Navy highlights the US’s increased ability to coordinate air and naval forces against adversaries.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
