Author: Thomas Withington Illustrator: Chris Davey About this book The B-2A ‘ Spirit’ was an aircraft conceived to fight the Cold War but which has proved invaluable to both the ‘ New World Order’ & more recently the ‘ War on Terrorism’. The combination of low-observability, precision strike, range & payload flexibility has made the ‘ Spirit’ the weapon of choice when America hits its enemies at the start of a campaign. Spirits have fired the first shots of Operation ‘ Allied Force’ over Kosovo & Serbia, as well as operations ‘ Enduring Freedom’ & ‘ Iraqi Freedom’. Despite the tremendous cost of the aircraft – each unit is literally worth its weight in gold – the B-2 has had an impact on modern warfare which has vastly exceeded this small force of 21 bombers. Developed in utmost secrecy, the B-2’s gestation saw the use of new computer design & manufacturing techniques & ultra-modern synthetic materials making it the most revolutionary aircraft in terms of design & performance. This book examines these incredible aircraft. Contents Introduction · Background · Requirements · Development & Design · The Test Phase · Roll-out & Entry into Service · Operation Allied Force · Off to Afghanistan · Operation Iraqi Freedom · The Future Paperback; July 2006; 96 pages; ISBN: 9781841769936