The B-2 stealth bomber, which recently conducted an attack on Iran’s nuclear site, remains one of the most classified aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, offering minimal insight into its interior.
Opportunities to view the cockpit, where B-2 Spirit pilots train for long missions and complex bombing operations, are exceedingly rare, as the U.S. Air Force has granted access to only a few select individuals.
Whiteman Air Base, which houses the entire B-2 fleet, was also the launch point for missions on Saturday, which involved a 37-hour round trip to Iran’s Fordau nuclear enrichment facility.
A brief segment of Bolton’s experience showcases a pilot expertly navigating over U.S. airspace, while the filmmaker captures the complex instruments on the aircraft’s dashboard.
This footage aired in a 1997 PBS documentary featuring the B-2 alongside the late Huel Hauser.
In that episode, Hauser appeared genuinely surprised by the aircraft, and candidly noted the cockpit’s surprisingly compact size.
Although the military permitted Hauser inside, many security precautions were in place: the cockpit dashboard was deactivated, the windshield was covered, and the pilot emphasized the importance of keeping B-2 capabilities under wraps.
The B-2 bombers were originally intended to deliver nuclear payloads undetected during the Cold War but officially entered service in 1997. The cost of each aircraft exceeds $2 billion.
The U.S. Air Force maintains 19 B-2 bombers, the only aircraft in the country that can deploy a massive 15-ton GBU-57 bunker-buster bomb.
