U.S. Air Force Arms B-2 With Anti-Ship Missile as China Navy Eyes 435 Ships by 2030
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 30
U.S. Air Force Arms B-2 With Anti-Ship Missile as China Navy Eyes 435 Ships by 2030
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 30
Summary
A B-2 Spirit fired a long-range anti-ship missile in Exercise Valiant Shield 26, marking the Air Force’s first public unveiling of the stealth bomber’s maritime strike role.
The live-fire shot hit the decommissioned USS Juneau in a June 27-28 sinking exercise north of the Mariana Islands, where U.S. and allied air, surface and subsurface forces sent the ship to the bottom of the Philippine Sea.
The new pairing gives Washington a stealth platform for striking high-value warships in heavily defended airspace, a capability China has not publicly demonstrated because its H-20 bomber is still not fielded.
The Pentagon is highlighting the upgrade as it prepares for a possible Indo-Pacific conflict against China’s fast-growing fleet, projected to expand from more than 370 ships to about 435 by 2030 versus roughly 291 for the U.S. Navy.
The demonstration also points to future missions for the B-21 Raider, due to begin entering operational service in 2027, while the B-2 remains the Air Force’s only operational stealth bomber.
Beyond the B-2, how ready is the U.S. Navy's promised 'Hellscape' drone fleet to actually counter an invasion?
Can a few multi-million dollar missiles effectively counter China's massive and rapidly growing naval fleet?
With stealth bombers now hunting warships, is the era of the aircraft carrier as dominant naval power ending?
U.S. Counters China’s 435-Ship Navy with B-2 Spirit’s LRASM Anti-Ship Strike Debut
Overview
In June 2026, the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber demonstrated a major new capability by taking on an anti-ship strike role during Exercise Valiant Shield. U.S. Airmen prepared and loaded the advanced AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (LRASM) onto the B-2, which then successfully launched the missile in a live-fire exercise against a decommissioned naval vessel. This event highlighted the B-2’s increased versatility and marked a significant advancement in its operational power, showing its ability to deliver precise and decisive strikes against maritime targets and reinforcing its strategic value in modern naval warfare.