US stealth bomber crashes on Guam

Tabnabs

A US B-2 stealth bomber - one of the most expensive military aircraft in the world - has crashed at an air base on the Pacific island of Guam.

The United States Air Force (USAF) said both pilots had ejected safely before the plane came down at Andersen Air Force Base, shortly after take-off.

A spokeswoman said it was the first time a B-2 had crashed.

B-2 bombers, which can evade most radar signals, cost about $1.2bn (£610m) each to build.

They have a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km) without refuelling and have seen service in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thick, black smoke could be seen coming from the wreckage following the crash.

Lieutenant Colonel Doug Smith from the USAF told the BBC that the crash would be investigated.

"The two pilots... ejected prior to the crash. One of them was medically evaluated and released and the other is in a stable condition at a naval hospital," he said.

Guam is a US territory 3,700 miles south-west of Hawaii. Its capital is Hagatna.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7260231.stm

The Black Oil

Ouch, pricey.

Run_to_da_hills

1.2 Billion is just cover about the cost of four basic model Airbus A380ies at $300 each!!

Manic Moran

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

1.2 Billion is just cover about the cost of four basic model Airbus A380ies at $300 each!!

Reminds me of the Matthias Rust Memorial Squadron. 10,700 Cessna 172s, each carrying a 500lb bomb, capable of reaching Moscow undetected and delivering a payload ten times greater than the entire B-2 fleet, for less than the price of a single B-2.

NTM

tricky D

Also with precision guidance to the heart of Red Square