Why a B-2 Stealth Bomber Flying Over Alaska Just Sent Strong Show of Force at the Trump-Putin Summit

On August 15 Russian President Vladimir Putin’s delegation arrived in Alaska for meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which the ongoing war in Ukraine in which countries are active participants will be the central topic of discussions. As the Russian leader arrived in Alaska, a U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit strategic bomber flew overhead, in a show of force considered highly unusual for such an event. The deployment of fighter jets to escort the aircraft of visiting world leaders has been common diplomatic practice since the early years of the Cold War, as has the deployment of warships such as destroyers to greet leaders visiting by sea. Bombers, however, have had little presence in diplomatic signalling, and have instead consistently been relied on to issue threats. The B-2 in particular, having recently flown strikes against Russia’s close strategic partner Iran in June, and previously having been used to strike the Chinese embassy in another Russian strategic partner country, Yugoslavia, has long been considered a key tool of intimidation.

The flying of a B-2 over Alaska follows the issuing of a threat by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Trump, strongly implying that if Russia fails to make concessions on the war in Ukraine, it could be subjected to attacks much as Iran was. The bombers’ ability to launch strikes on targets across the world with little to no warning from bases on the American mainland, while using their advanced stealth capabilities to evade radar detection, has provided them with a unique strike capability, with the aircraft having been developed specifically to be able to operate deep inside Soviet airspace during the waning years of the Cold War. The modernisation of the aircraft to be able to fire JASSM cruise missiles, which allows them to strike targets from safer distances, had further increased the viability of using them to strike targets in Russia.

A previous assessment by Military Watch noted that although B-2s will likely be vulnerable if operating in well defended Russian airspace, they would be more than capable of striking more remote high value targets such as oil installations in Russia’s Arctic and Pacific territories which are much less well defended. With the aircraft being based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and rarely deploying in Alaska, the presence of one of the bombers was unlikely to have been coincidental. The overflight by a B-2 so shortly after threats against Russia were issued, and less than two months after the aircraft performed a highly significant combat mission against Iran, appears likely to have been intended to send a strong message of strength to the Russian leadership.