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Picture of the Day: Spirit in the Sky
By John
A B-2 Spirit bomber refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker during a deployment to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The bomber deployed as part of a rotation that has provided U.S. Pacific Command officials a continuous bomber presence in the Asia-Pacific region, enhancing regional security and the U.S. commitment to the Western Pacific. The B-2 is from the 509th Bomber Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo. The KC-135 is assigned to the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing at Scott AFB, Ill. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Val Gempis)
We've only got 24 21 (last three canceled!) of these suckers. I wonder how many they hold back for the nuclear strike mission, and how many they let play out in CENCOM's sandbox.
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Comments
Please correct numbers
21 (1 test) B-2's in inventory
I count them each time they fly over my house.
(True -- I live ten miles from Whiteman AFB)
The KC-10 uses a remote boom operator right? Does that mean that when the KC-135s go away we lose our source of dramatic photos like this?
That would be a definite public relations loss.
naw Jeff, although KC-10 boom operators sit up in a command chair instead of laying flat on their stomaches like their 135 counterparts.
Took a cool AFROTC trip where we watched a boom operator do his thing. Amazing view, from that window.
Jim's right. Unless you have three hidden away somewhere we don't (or shouldn't) know about, there are only 21.
If you care enough about each of these lovelies to learn their names, you can find them further down here: http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/bomber/b-2.htm#names
I'm partial to AV-5, of course. But then it was also one of our own Congressmen who led the fight to cut production from 120 to twenty (actually, I think he had 17 in mind, Or none).
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As long as the technology remains with the United States, I consider it 24 more reasons to thank God for America! Thank you, sir, for posting this superb photograph.