The B-2 is one of the last remaining "carpet bomb" style bombers left in the US arsenal. If you imagine bombing in your head as just a plane dropping a massive torrent of bombs over a large area, that's the B-2. The US still has the B-52 of course, but it's ancient in comparison, so that leaves this. One of them can drop 80 500kg bombs on a civilian population in a single pass

They're using it not for the stealth value, but the pure terror value of carpet bombing civilians. It being stealthy is just ensuring they can't be reprised against

[–] ZWQbpkzl@hexbear.net 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I was under the impression that the b-2 had a smallish payload due to it stealth constraints but maybe that was just in comparison to the B-52.

Jesus this is grim they're resorting to tactics they haven't used since Vietnam.

[–] FunkYankkkees@hexbear.net 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

b2 can carry 40,000lb payload, b-52 is 70,000lb

[–] Findom_DeLuise@hexbear.net 5 points 2 weeks ago

And everyone forgets about the B-1, which can carry even more 500 pound bombs than the B-52.

[–] TechnoUnionTypeBeat@hexbear.net 3 points 2 weeks ago

Jesus this is grim they're resorting to tactics they haven't used since Vietnam.

I can't say for sure how they're using it - a bomber that big can carry fewer, larger weapons, after all - but it's more to say that the B-2 isn't a small tactical bomber, like an Su-34 or something. It can absolutely be used to level an entire neighbourhood in a single pass, if the US willed it