How fast does the B-2 Spirit fly?

The Northrop B-2 Spirit entered service in 1997 with an idea opposite to the supersonic bombers that preceded it, such as the B-1B or the proposed B-70: instead of outrunning defenses with speed, it evades them through radar invisibility. The official U.S. Air Force fact sheet simply describes its speed as "high subsonic," without giving an exact figure; the most commonly cited estimates place it around Mach 0.95, about 1,010 km/h (545 kn) at altitude, with a somewhat lower cruise, around Mach 0.85.

The reason lies in its shape. The B-2 is a flying wing with no tail or vertical surfaces, with straight edges and angles calculated to scatter radar waves away from the emitter. A fuselage built to exceed Mach 1 would need air intakes, nozzles, and surfaces that break that geometry and spike the radar signature. The four General Electric F118 engines, without afterburners, are buried in the wing, and their flat nozzles cool and hide the hot exhaust.

In exchange for speed, the B-2 offers endurance: more than 11,000 km (6,000 nautical miles) without refueling, and virtually unlimited with aerial refueling. Its operational ceiling is about 15,200 m (50,000 ft). Typical missions depart from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and reach any point on the planet with a couple of refuelings; the longest recorded flight, in 2001 toward Afghanistan, exceeded 40 hours.

The much older B-52 flies at similar speeds, about 1,000 km/h; the B-1B, with variable-geometry wings, exceeds Mach 1.2. The B-2's successor, the B-21 Raider, which made its first flight in November 2023, follows the same subsonic approach. The lesson of recent decades is that for a heavy bomber, supersonic speed offers little against modern missiles, while low observability and range are what actually determine whether a mission is possible. With only 19 units in service after the loss of two aircraft in accidents, the B-2 remains the world's only operational stealth bomber until the B-21 arrives.