Eight B-2 Spirit stealth bombers took off from the runway at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri during exercise Spirit Vigilance 22, demonstrating the air power of the United States Air Force. Maneuvers, 509th and 131st in Whiteman.

Since the Cold War, the US Air Force’s bombers are no longer fully armed, they are combat-ready 24/7. At the moment, maneuvers are mainly about demonstrating the readiness and ability of the base and its constituent parts to quickly lift into the air a large number of aircraft that may be necessary in the event of the start of full-scale hostilities.

While these types of exercises have become more common in the U.S. military in recent years, it’s far less common to see bombers participating. That’s because the Air Force currently operates 20 B-2 aircraft, but only eight aircraft participated in maneuvers and mass launches. Under the new SNO agreement, 11 or 12 B-2 bombers could be deployed at any time as part of nuclear readiness.

“We have demonstrated the ability to deploy the B-2 quickly with greater control and time constraints than in normal day-to-day operations,” said Captain Richard Collier, chief of operations for the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

Despite all the low-profile features that would enable it to perform its duty in wartime, the B-2’s peacetime value is that it is a visible symbol of American strategic deterrence, including an element of the nuclear triad.

“The B-2 is the most strategic aircraft in the world,” said Colonel Jeffrey Steves, commander of Task Force 509. “This is the only aircraft on the planet that combines invisibility, payload and long range. We have been tasked with delivering the nation’s most powerful weapons for our most important missions.” Source