Summary and Key Points: Operation Midnight Hammer revived a debate Washington thought was settled: whether to expand the B-2 Spirit fleet even as the B-21 approaches.
-The argument is simple—combat performance matters more than airframe age.
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)
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)
-The B-2’s ability to penetrate defended airspace, operate without confirmed engagement, and deliver specialized weapons reinforces confidence at the highest political and military levels.
-A long upgrade arc—faster computing, improved stealth coatings, better thermal management, fiber-optic rewiring, and modern interfaces—has effectively transformed the Spirit into a new aircraft inside an old shape.
-Pairing additional B-2s with incoming B-21s could hedge risk and deepen stealth-bomber capacity.
In 2 Words: Build More?
Build More B-2 Stealth Bombers? After “Midnight Hammer,” the Idea Is Back
The performance of the B-2 Spirit in Operation Midnight Hammer this summer has inspired senior weapons developers and decision-makers to consider building more of the 36-year-old stealth bomber. On the surface, such a prospect may seem nonsensical, given that the next-generation B-21 is arriving soon, and the B-2 is so old.
However, the plane is trustworthy and proven, and confidence in the B-2’s ability to perform in a modern threat environment has reached the U.S. President Donald Trump.
While many details of Operation Midnight Hammer remain unavailable, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was unaware of any shots being fired at the B-2s during the operation.
Hegseth and top Air Force generals support Trump’s praise for the B-2.
It could well inspire a move to add more B-2s to the fleet to fly alongside the B-21 as the newer bomber joins the force.
This could make sense, given that the B-2 has proven it remains effective for modern combat operations.
B-2A Spirit Stealth Bomber USAF Museum. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
B-2A Spirit On Display. Image by Editor Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.
Russian Air Defenses
The B-2’s successful attack is significant in essential ways. Iran operates Russian-built S-300 and possibly S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.
Modern variants of these weapons are increasingly enabled by digital networking, target-sharing technology, longer ranges, and the ability to detect aircraft over greater distances across a larger number of frequencies.
In recent years, Russian state-aligned media have made repeated claims that advanced Russian air defenses can detect and destroy stealth aircraft; this has not been confirmed.
The B-2’s ability to elude detection and pinpoint high-value targets while operating in territory covered by such systems—combined with the Spirit’s unparalleled bombing power—highlights a fundamental truth about force modernization: that decades-old platforms can become almost entirely different aircraft with structural reinforcement and continual upgrades.
While there are limits to how much an older platform can be upgraded, aircraft such as the B-2, F-15, and B-52 have remained relevant, lethal, and effective in modern, high-threat environments.
The B-2 is the best example of this phenomenon. Today’s Spirit has a 1,000-fold faster computer processor, stealth coating upgrades, improved thermal management, and sensors and weapons that are effective and lethal against advanced threats.
The computing upgrades involved rehosting the flight management control processors—the brains of the airplane—onto much more capable integrated processing units.
This included laying new fiber-optic cable in place of the mix bus cable previously used. The original B-2 computers from the 1980s could be overloaded with data in a modern war environment.
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base takes off from Oscoda, Michigan, Aug. 5, 2025. Maintainers and pilots conducted a flight crew changeover during Exercise Northern Strike, a National Guard Bureau sponsored training event designed to build readiness with joint and partner forces in all domains of warfare. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Whitney Erhart)
A B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, taxis for take off at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, in support a Bomber Task Force mission, Aug. 26, 2020. BTF missions allow U.S. Strategic Command to provide persistent, long-term bomber presence to aid in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Heather Salazar)
B-2 Pilot
Several years ago, former B-2 pilot Capt. Nicola Polidor told Fox News about the impact of the computer upgrades.
“It is like a flying computer. You enter text into the computer. We can input the pressure, airspeed or target for a weapon from that panel and send it,” Polidor said. “We have autopilot just like a commercial airliner. We are able to maintain altitude without having to input into the computer system.”
New B-2 Weapons Configuration
The B-2 handles its weapons differently, too. It is now configured with new software, fire control enhancements, and interfaces to enable greater flexibility and a much more expansive arsenal.
For example, the B-2 can deliver the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
Satellite images of the bomb attacks on Iranian sites reveal somewhat small holes of entry.
A B-2 Spirit returns to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, from a deployment to Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, May 9, 2025. The 509th Bomb Wing and its fleet of B-2 aircraft serve as part of the U.S. Air Force’s conventional and strategic combat force with the capability to project U.S. airpower anywhere around the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Devan Halstead)
This is quite deliberate—the Air Force has been developing earth-penetrating weapons for many years. They are configured with pointed, sharp front ends to penetrate deep into the earth and are armed with a delayed fuse that prevents detonation until it reaches the desired depth underground.
This naturally maximizes damage to targets deliberately buried underground.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
