An amazing shot of an amazing aircraft.

Three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and more than 200 Airmen belonging to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPH-H), Hawaii, in support of U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission last month. During the BTF mission, the stealth bombers flew 37 sorties were flown for a total of 171 hours. Eight missions saw the batwing aircraft integrate with the local-based Hawaii Air National Guard 199th Fighter Squadron’s F-22 Raptor 5th generation aircraft.

A B-2 Spirit bomber, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, is staged on the flightline at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Jan. 25, 2019. Three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and more than 200 Airmen deployed here in support of U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission. During the BTF mission 37 sorties were flown for a total of 171 hours, with eight of the missions including F-22 Raptor integration. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Barley)

As already explained, although bombers regularly rotate through the Indo-Pacific region “to integrate capabilities with key regional partners and maintain a high state of aircrew proficiency”, utilizing Andersen AFB in Guam, the Spirit stealth bombers have deployed twice to Hawaii supporting the BTF mission recently: the first time was in August 2018, during the B-2’s first deployment to JBPH-H, when the stealth bombers flew multiple local and long-duration sorties, conducted hot pit refueling at Wake Island and integrated with the local Raptors.

Dealing with the Raptors, one of the 509th Bomb Wing B-2 Spirit bomber along with two F-22 Raptors from the 199th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, took part in an air-to-air photo session and flew in formation near Diamond Head State Monument, Hawaii, after completing interoperability training on Jan. 15, 2019.