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The B-2 stealth bomber made its first overseas deployment 20 years ago — here's why it's still one of the most feared aircraft in the sky

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the deployment of one of America's most important and expensive weapon systems — the B-2 Spirit.

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the deployment to Guam of one of America's most important and expensive weapon systems — the B-2 Spirit.

The B-2 was originally intended to carry nuclear bombs deep into Soviet territory if the Cold War had ever turned hot. Its shape — paired with the plane's stealth systems — would enable it to be undetected by Soviet radars. The B-2's long range

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the B-2 has been used as a conventional bomber. It made its combat debut during the Kosovo War in 1999, and has since flown sorties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.

More recently, the B-2 has been placed in bases in the Pacific as part of a strategy to deal with potential threats from North Korea.

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Here's why it's one of the most feared aircraft in the world:

The B-2 bomber was shown to the public for the first time in 1988, just before the end of the Cold War. Its stealth capabilities were virtually unmatched.

The B-2 can carry sixteen 2,400 lb B83 nuclear bombs, but its official limit of 40,000 lbs of ordinance means it can carry a massive amount of Precision-guided munitions.

The B-2 has a max range of 6,900 miles on a single tank, but aerial refueling can keep the bomber up indefinitely.

On one bombing mission, two B-2s flew a 34-hour round-trip mission from Missouri to Libya, and were refueled in the air 15 times.

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Each of the current 20 B-2s in service are named after a states. Here, the Spirit of New York can be seen at the British Royal International Air Tattoo in July of 2012.

The B-2 is a flying wing aircraft, so it has no fuselage or tail. This means it has low drag, high structural efficiency, and generates more lift than other fixed-wing aircraft.

The B-2's max speed is Mach 0.95, or 630 mph.

Because of its capabilities, B-2s have been deployed to Guam to keep an eye on North Korea.

They are also extremely important for keeping other countries like China and Russia in check.

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At home, the B-2 is often seen in flyovers during sports events.

The B-2 is currently one of three strategic bombers currently in use by the US Air Force, the other two being the B-52 Stratofortress, and the B-1 Lancer. The Air Force plans to retire the B-2 in the early 2030s.

Check it out in action.

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