The Agile Aviator: Cutting-Edge Tests for Stealth Bomber Pilots

Upon arrival at an airfield, a B-2 Spirit bomber typically necessitates a team of maintenance personnel to facilitate its readiness for subsequent operations. However, on May 28, a distinctive mission was undertaken by two stealth bombers hailing from the 393rd Bomb Squadron stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. These aircraft embarked on a journey to Offutt AFB located in Nebraska, where each aircraft's sole pilot disembarked and autonomously conducted the refuelling process.

 “This is a novel approach for pilots, as they typically don't refuel their own aircraft, especially within such a short timeframe,” Maj. Bo Bateman, a B-2 instructor pilot with the squadron, explained to Air Force Times. As the Air Force strategizes on how to prevail in a prolonged and expansive conflict in the Pacific, it is emphasizing efficiency. The “agile combat employment” concept involves deploying a small, versatile team of airmen who can rapidly set up operations at a new, possibly rudimentary airfield with minimal external support.

This flexibility is particularly valuable for the B-2 fleet, whose capacity to transport conventional and nuclear weapons across continents is crucial to the Air Force’s strategy for deterring conflicts with other nuclear powers.

Another excellent demonstration of bombers employing agile combat manoeuvres is this drill. According to Col. Geoffrey Steeves, commander of the 509th Operations Group, which is in charge of the 393rd Bomb Squadron, "this is the first time that the squadron has carried out B-2 'cold-pit' refuelling operations without the assistance of our maintenance professionals on the ground," the statement was sent to Air Force Times.
The Air Force refers to the process of refuelling an aircraft with its engine off as "cold-pit" refuelling.
In the end, Steeves continued, "we are posturing the B-2 to meet the challenges of the 'great power competition' head-on."