American adversaries fear the B-2 Spirit and there is good reason for it.
While stealth fighters like the F-35 and F-22 are difficult to detect
using even low-frequency early-warning radar arrays, the B-2 is perhaps the stealthiest
operational aircraft in service today, despite its being rather old.
It is an engineering marvel with a flying wing design with no fuselage or tail.
There are no operational combat aircraft like the Spirit.
But now a certain upgrade will see B-2 being
transformed into a deadlier platform for nuke delivery.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how B-2 Spirit is set to become an even meaner beast
with RATS & cryptology? Let's get started.
The B-2 Spirit was developed to take over the United States Air Force’s (USAF) critical
penetration missions, able to travel deep into enemy territory to deploy their ordnance.
Stealth capability provides greater freedom of action as the bomber can evade enemy air defenses.
The B-2 fleet is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear ordnance.
The aircraft has a range of approximately 6,900 miles
or 11,000 km and a maximum speed of Mach 0.95
Spirit has an excellent payload, which makes even a single one extremely destructive.
It has 2 internal bays for ordnance and payload with an official limit of 40,000 lb or 18,000 kg
and a maximum estimated limit of 50,000 lb or 23,000 kg.
The US Air Force is now integrating crypto modernization and a Radar Aided
Targeting System (RATS) to B-2. A demonstration was conducted as
part of a capstone test at the Tonopah Test Range on 14 June.
The latest system advancements are part of integrated functional capability (IFC) P6.4,
which was certified last year by the U.S Air Force.
RATS will complete the latest phase of nuclear modernization of the B-2 Spirit.
RATS enhances weapon guidance precision in surroundings with
reduced global positioning system (GPS) availability.
Cryptology enables secure communication.
USAF 72nd TES B-2 weapons flight commander captain David Durham said: “We flew multiple sorties
testing RATS capability over the last nine months and collected test points on its performance.
Northrop Grumman in its release stated, “The integration of RATS allows the B-2 to
fully employ the B-61 mod 12 nuclear bomb. RATS is the key element of nuclear modernization,
as GPS may not be available during a bomber task force mission. Crypto modernization
further improves the communications security of various high-frequency transmissions."
The B-2 may now securely utilize advanced communication devices in the future threat
environment. Earlier this year, Northrop Grumman conducted a successful communications flight test
with modern cryptology at its Oklahoma City Weapons System Support Center site.”
B-61 Mod 12 has been pursued as a forward-deployed tactical/strategic
nuclear weapon to protect NATO and Asian allies. It is a cooperative effort between the
U.S. Air Force & NNSA or National Nuclear Security Administration.
The US Air Force is responsible for acquiring the Boeing-designed GPS-assisted inertial
navigation system (INS)-directed tail kit. The kit has tale fins to control the bomb’s
downward descent and will enable it to dive down on the target with high accuracy.
The bomb also uses rockets in the main body to spin-stabilize
it in flight and improve its accuracy. NNSA is responsible for developing the
bomb’s main assembly and integrating the actual nuclear warhead on live weapons.
The exact power of B-61 Mod 12 remains classified.
Some reports indicate the warhead will have a maximum yield of approximately 50 kilotons.
To give viewers a perspective here is a comparison.
Trinity Test in New Mexico in July 1945, which ushered in
the nuclear age, had a yield of 20 kilotons. Hiroshima’s “Little Boy" bomb had a yield of
13-18 kilotons whereas Nagasaki's "Fat Man" bomb had a yield of 20– 22 kilotons of TNT.
B-61 Mod 12 is expected to have a “dial-a-yield” capability, which can limit the extent of the
nuclear reaction inside the warhead to lower the explosive force. This way a B
61 Mod 12 will be able to replace different bombs that have predefined explosive yields.
In 2014, former U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz, speaking at an event at
the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, D.C., suggested that the guidance kit on the B61-12
will enable it to destroy even hardened underground targets without any specialized
bunker-busting variant as the blast’s impact will be very focussed due to the high accuracy.
Viewers may note while a new nuclear-capable cruise missile is being developed for both B-2
and the B-52 bombers, a nuclear bomb like B-61 Mod 12 has some specific advantages.
B-2 Spirit or the future B-21 Raider can carry more of these when compared to the cruise missile
and hence more targets could be neutralized in a single sortie.
The bombers, as well as any smaller jets carrying the nuclear bombs
though being vulnerable to interception, are an important part of America’s nuclear triad
since this option offer much better flexibility.
Bombers and fighters can shift target or abort mission entirely even at the very last stage
when compared to missile-armed planes or sea or ground-launched cruise or ballistic missiles.
It is not hard to assume that during a conflict, near-peer rivals like Russia and China
will go all out to impede GPS guidance and communication channels
Both nations have been deploying Anti Satellite weapons.
With RATS & cryptology, B-2 Spirit will still be able to destroy the intended targets.