Flying more than 11,000 nautical miles on a 24-hour mission from Andersen AB, Guam, three B-2 stealth bombers last month precisely delivered their payloads on an Alaskan training range engulfed in smoke from forest fires—the fires were not part of the mission. The B-2s were in Guam on what has become a routine rotation for stateside bombers to bolster US forces in the Pacific region. The Global Power mission concluded the 120-day rotation for four B-2s and more than 240 airmen from Whiteman AFB, Mo. While at Andersen, the Whiteman team flew more than 100 combat missions.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.