Editing Northrop B-2 Spirit (section)

===2000s===
The B-2 bombed ground targets at the beginning of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]] ([[Operation Crescent Wind]]/Operation Enduring Freedom). With aerial refueling support, the B-2 flew one of its longest missions to date from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Afghanistan and back.<ref name=B-2_AF_fact_sheet/> B-2s would be stationed in the Middle East as a part of a US military buildup in the region from 2003.<ref>"Pressure mounts as stealth bombers deployed". ''The Age'', 28 February 2003.</ref>

The B-2's combat use preceded a USAF declaration of "full operational capability" in December 2003.<ref name=B-2_AF_fact_sheet/> The Pentagon's Operational Test and Evaluation 2003 Annual Report noted that the B-2's serviceability for Fiscal Year 2003 was still inadequate, mainly due to the maintainability of the B-2's low observable coatings. The evaluation also noted that the Defensive Avionics suite had shortcomings with "pop-up threats".<ref name=B-2_AF_fact_sheet/><ref name= "tucker 178">{{harvnb|Tucker|2010|p=178}}</ref>

During the [[Iraq War]], B-2s operated from [[Diego Garcia]] and an undisclosed "forward operating location". Other [[sortie]]s in Iraq have launched from Whiteman AFB.<ref name=B-2_AF_fact_sheet/> {{as of|2013|09}} the longest combat mission has been 44.3 hours.<ref name="chiles201309">{{cite news | url=http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/The-Stealth-Bomber-Elite-220257381.html?c=y&story=fullstory | title=The Stealth Bomber Elite | work=Air & Space | date=September 2013 | access-date=9 September 2013 | author=Chiles, James R. | archive-date=12 November 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112175855/http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/The-Stealth-Bomber-Elite-220257381.html?c=y&story=fullstory | url-status=live}}</ref> "Forward operating locations" have been previously designated as [[Andersen Air Force Base]] in [[Guam]] and [[RAF Fairford]] in the United Kingdom, where new climate controlled hangars have been constructed. B-2s have conducted 27 sorties from Whiteman AFB and 22 sorties from a forward operating location, releasing more than {{convert|1500000|lb|kg}} of munitions,<ref name=B-2_AF_fact_sheet/> including 583 JDAM "smart bombs" in 2003.<ref name= POGO>[http://pogoarchives.org/m/dp/dp-2003-B2.pdf "Air Force programs: B-2."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727182239/http://pogoarchives.org/m/dp/dp-2003-B2.pdf |date=27 July 2011}} ''Project On Government Oversight'' (POGO), 16 April 2004. Retrieved 13 September 2009.</ref>