DefenseB-2 'Spirit of Georgia' returns to service after $23.7 million structural repairs
The US Air Force (USAF) has returned the B-2 Spirit bomber ‘Spirit of Georgia’ to operational status on November 6 after four years of structural repairs at Northrop Grumman’s California maintenance center.
The aircraft had suffered severe damage following a left main landing gear collapse during a landing on September 2021, incurring an initial estimated repair cost of at least $10.1 million. The completed restoration required four phases and ultimately cost approximately $23.7 million.
This marks the second time the USAF has restored a B-2 to service, following similar work on the ‘Spirit of Washington.’ The ‘Spirit of Georgia’ re-enters a fleet that now comprises 19 operational B-2s, following the retirement of the ‘Spirit of Hawaii.’
Limited fleet
The case of the Spirit of Georgia shows how far the Air Force will go to protect a fleet that was small from the start. Only twenty one B-2s were built. Most remain in service, including aircraft that survived serious mishaps like the Spirit of Washington, which was repaired after a major fire in 2010. Keeping the line healthy has become a long term effort that blends engineering fixes with cautious operations.
Two losses stand out. The Spirit of Kansas was destroyed in a crash in 2008 in Guam, and the Spirit of Hawaii was taken out of service after a crash landing in 2022. With nineteen airframes now available, every bomber carries more weight on the strategic ledger.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
