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Air Force dedicates B-2 to Arizona

Released: Feb 12, 1998


LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) -- The Air Force will name the nation's newest B-2 Spirit stealth bomber the "Spirit of Arizona" in a ceremony at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., March 20.

The Spirit of Arizona, the 18th B-2 stealth bomber to be named, will be on display immediately following the ceremony, which is open to the public.

Scheduled to preside over the activity are Gen. Richard E. Hawley, commander of Air Combat Command, and Mr. Kent Kresa, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Northrop Grumman Corp.

Col. John D.W. Corley, commander of the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, will host the event. Also invited to attend the ceremony are all members of Arizona's congressional delegation and Arizona's governor.

The B-2 stealth bomber, based at Whiteman AFB, Mo., is capable of delivering conventional and nuclear munitions anywhere on the globe. Its combination of low observability, large-payload capacity, near-precision munitions and long range give it a unique ability to penetrate sophisticated defenses and threaten an enemy's war-making capability.

The B-2 Spirit is an integral part of the Air Force's bomber force, which also includes the B-1B Lancer and the B-52H Stratofortress. Together, this bomber fleet gives the nation the capability to rapidly respond to crises anywhere in the world with tremendous lethality, at minimal risk to American lives. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)