What is B-2 stealth bomber, that 'obliterated' Iranian nuclear programme? Should India acquire it to counter China, Pakistan?

It took off from Whiteman Air Base in Missouri, US, received multiple mid-air refueling, kept on flying for 18 hours, covered a distance of about 11,000 kilometres, went undetected and bombed the nuclear facilities buried under the mountains in Fordow in Iran. No, it is not a scene from a Hollywood movie, nor  from a science fiction. It was B-2 stealth bomber, used by the Pentagon to destroy the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic situated in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. US President Donald Trump hailed Operation Midnight Thunder as success and claimed to have "obliterated" the Iranian nuclear programme. With this, the Northrop Grumman-made B-2 stealth bomber hit the headlines. 

What is B-2 stealth bomber?

In an attempt to checkmate then Soviet Union during the Cold War days, US fighter jet-manufacturing firm Northrop developed the heavy strategic bomber that uses low-observable stealth technology to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defence without being detected.  Boeing, Hughes, and Vought joined Northrop as principal subcontractors and the bomber was produced in 2000. The B-2 stealth bomber can fly at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet, it can fly for 11,000 kilometres without refueling, can fly more than 19,000 km with just one midair refueling.

B-2 stealth bomber: Designed for nuclear strike

Basically, it was designed to perform deep-penetrating nuclear strike missions avoiding detection and interception throughout the missions. It is fitted with two internal bomb bays for storing munitions. As the ammunition are stored either on a rotary launcher or two bomb-racks it results in less radar visibility than external mounting of munitions. The B-2 stealth bomber can carry weapons up to 18,000 kg. Its nuclear ordnance includes the B61 and B83 nuclear bombs and the AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles. 

Should India buy B-2?

The US has not yet sold B-2 stealth bomber to any country, not even to the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). There is no question of giving it to India, at least not in the near future. Secondly, it is extremely expensive and its maintenance cost too is too high to buy. According to analysts, a basic B-2 stealth bomber can cost about $2.2 billion, its spare parts are equally expensive. It may cost more than about $1 trillion for one stealth bomber, its spare parts and maintenance charges. Ammunitions are not included. 

Thirdly, as India's arch-enemies China and Pakistan do not possess anything like this, New Delhi is not in a hurry to acquire it. Indian Air Force does not need it to tackle Pakistan. However, it can be a game-changer in a long-drawn war against China.