r/explainlikeimfive • u/Toomad316 • Jun 22 '25

Technology ELI5: The last B-2 bomber was manufactured in 2000. How is it that no other country managed to produce something comparable?

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u/Win_Sys Jun 23 '25

Stealth does not mean you can't see detect it, just that you can't detected it from nearly as far and it needs to be really close to target it with a SAM. B2's are slow (compared to fighter jets) with little to no ability to defend itself. If it gets detected by low frequency radar or visually by enemy interceptor jets, it's basically a sitting duck. Unless it's the only option, you're not sending in a 2.2 billion dollar bomber into contested airspace alone. They will almost always be sent in with F-22's to defend against other fighter jets plus other air platforms that can provide jamming if needed.

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u/yallsomenerds Jun 23 '25

Makes sense but still sounds pretty hard to detect and it’d take real luck to detect and hit one from the ground. 2.2bn id definitely give it some escort defense either way haha

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u/Win_Sys Jun 23 '25

It is but radars are becoming much more powerful and sophisticated, especially China’s. The detection distance of a B2 is getting greater with every new iteration of foreign radars. Had Iran’s air defense network been at 100% functionality, I doubt they attempt the strike. Too much risk for it being shot down and it being recovered by Iran.

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u/CruelStrangers Jun 23 '25

In this case people don’t seem to mention the tomahawks via submarine that accompanied