US Air Force Grounds Entire B-2 Nuclear Bomber Fleet Amid Search for Defects

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Air Force has grounded all 20 B-2 Spirit bombers until further notice amid an ongoing search for potential safety defects following an accident, Air Force Times reported.

The decision to ground the entire fleet of nuclear bombers followed an emergency landing accident of a bomber on December 10 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri after an undisclosed in-flight malfunction, the report said on Monday.

The Air Force is currently investigating the accident and the bombers will resume normal operations once the safety inspections are concluded, the report added.

The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of firing both conventional and nuclear munitions. Its stealth characteristics make it difficult to detect with conventional infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual, and radar systems, according to the Air Force.

The aircraft can fly approximately 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometers) without refueling.

Earlier in December, Northrop Grumman unveiled the new nuclear-capable B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the world's first sixth-generation aircraft that will soon be delivered to the US Air Force.