The publication Defense News began publication of series of articles devoted to nuclear weapons the United States and everything connected with it. The first review was awarded the famous strategic bomber B-2 made under the scheme “flying wing”. The cockpit, the pilot’s seat and controls the first show to the General public.
It turned out that the ground handling B-2 is incredibly troublesome thing. Take anti-radar stealth coating is a “cake” of 250 materials, with the thickness of some layers is only a few thousandths of a millimeter. Update such coverage is huge works, but the procedure should be carried out regularly. Even B-2 is prone to overheating of the internal space, so there are two cooling systems – air and liquid.
Interesting ammunition for the B-2’s bombs, which are similar to constructors, they are collected from the required modules depending on the mission type. For example, the standard munition Mk.84 weighing about 1 ton can hang the GPS pointer, laser guidance system, the tail unit planning or controlled flight, the fuses of various types, including for the underground detonation at the defeat bunkers.
The B-2 bomber can carry the most powerful nonnuclear U.S. bomb GBU-57 or Massive Ordnance Penetrator. And the biggest nuclear bomb in the arsenals of the Pentagon B83 capacity of 1.2 MT. This aircraft of strategic aviation, so it is also equipped with free-fall tactical nuclear bombs B61. At present, the US is 21 so the bomber.
Source — Defense News