The B-2 stealth bomber used to hit the Houthis was built to strike the toughest targets

The defense secretary said that using the B-2s in the strike operation demonstrates America’s “global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”

The operation marks the first known deployment of the B-2 in the US military’s monthslong counter-Houthi campaign, during which the Pentagon has relied heavily on its warships and fighter jets stationed in the region to carry out missions against the rebels.

The Air Force has just 19 operational B-2s, flying wing aircraft manufactured by Northrop Grumman. Two of the aircraft, which cost around $2 billion each, were lost in crashes. The US bases the heavy strategic bombers at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

Before the emergence of the new B-21 Raider, the B-2 was, for decades, the only stealth bomber. A powerful asset and an element of the US nuclear triad, these aircraft can deliver conventional and nuclear strikes on targets as far as 6,000 nautical miles away without having to refuel.

Given the B-2’s impressive range and stealth technology, the Air Force touts its “unique ability to penetrate an enemy’s most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, targets.”

The bomber was designed with the Cold War and Soviet air defenses in mind. The Cold War ended before the aircraft was delivered, though.

The B-2 has flown missions in conflicts around the world over its nearly three decades of service; its last reported bombing run before the strike against the Houthis on Wednesday took place in early 2017 and targeted Islamic State operations.

The US military has not disclosed what munitions it released during the Houthi operation, but the B-2 is the only aircraft in the Air Force that is programmed to drop the GBU-57 MOP “bunker buster.”

The GBU-57 MOP, or Massive Ordnance Penetrator, is a GPS-guided, 30,000-pound bomb made by Boeing that can reach high-value targets buried up to 200 feet underground before exploding. It is the Air Force’s largest non-nuclear bomb.

The large warhead case is designed for a large explosive payload while also remaining intact during impact, giving it the ability to penetrate hardened, protected targets.

The Air Force describes the MOP as a heavy munition that can accomplish “difficult” and “complicated” missions of reaching enemy weapons stored in well-protected sites.

The B-2 can also carry other powerful munitions, including 500-pound and 2,000-pound bombs. It’s a weapon that sends a message like few others can.