Flying wing bomber cockpits have gotten complicated with all the stealth requirements and automation crammed into unconventional airframes. As someone who’s followed the B-2 Spirit program since its debut, I learned everything there is to know about one of aviation’s most sophisticated workspaces—where two crew members manage missions that can last over 40 hours.
Designing Around Stealth
Unlike traditional bomber cockpits, the B-2’s flight deck prioritizes stealth integration and workload reduction. Two crew members sit side by side in ACES II ejection seats—aircraft commander on the left, mission commander on the right. This arrangement allows efficient communication and shared situational awareness during those marathon missions with aerial refueling.
The cockpit features a dark, subdued interior designed to minimize light emissions that could compromise stealth. All displays and controls use carefully filtered lighting that won’t create detectable signatures. The canopy incorporates special coatings reducing radar reflectivity while still providing adequate visibility.
Screens Instead of Gauges
The B-2 cockpit centers around four large color multifunction displays configurable to show flight data, navigation info, weapons status, and defensive systems. These replaced the traditional analog gauges found in older bombers like the B-52.
The primary flight display shows airspeed, altitude, attitude, and heading. The horizontal situation display handles navigation data and can overlay terrain information for low-level penetration. Additional displays manage weapons, defensive systems, and system monitoring.
Flying the Unflyable
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. The B-2 uses a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system—absolutely essential for an aircraft with no vertical tail surfaces. The system makes thousands of adjustments per second to maintain stable flight because the flying wing design is inherently aerodynamically unstable. Pilots use conventional control sticks and throttles, but everything gets processed through flight computers before reaching control surfaces.
The aircraft has split drag rudders on the wing trailing edges, elevons for pitch and roll, and a beaver tail for extra pitch authority. The fly-by-wire system coordinates all these surfaces automatically based on pilot inputs and flight conditions.
Finding Targets While Staying Hidden
The navigation suite includes GPS receivers, inertial navigation systems, and terrain-following radar. The AN/APQ-181 radar provides ground mapping, targeting, and terrain avoidance while maintaining low probability of intercept characteristics.
For weapons delivery, the crew uses the GPS-Aided Targeting System combined with the AN/APQ-181. This allows precision strikes with GPS-guided munitions like the JDAM, or radar-guided targeting for other ordnance. The weapons bays accommodate up to 40,000 pounds of conventional or nuclear weapons.
Knowing What’s Out There
The defensive management system provides situational awareness about potential threats. The AN/APR-50 detects and categorizes radar emissions, displaying threat information on dedicated screens. This lets the crew adjust their flight path or employ countermeasures as needed.
The cockpit also integrates communications systems receiving mission updates and targeting data via satellite links, enabling the B-2 to respond to changing battlefield conditions during extended missions.
Creature Comforts at 50,000 Feet
Here’s what most people don’t realize about the B-2’s cockpit: given missions exceeding 30 hours, it includes provisions for crew comfort. A small rest area behind the seats lets one crew member sleep while the other maintains control. There’s also a toilet and storage for food and water.
The environmental control system maintains a comfortable cabin at altitudes above 50,000 feet. Crew members wear standard flight suits rather than pressure suits for most missions, though provisions exist for high-altitude contingencies.
Keeping It Current
That’s what makes the B-2 program endearing to us aviation enthusiasts—the fleet continues receiving upgrades to stay combat-relevant. Recent modernization improved the radar, updated communications, and integrated new weapons. The cockpit displays and computers have been upgraded multiple times since the aircraft entered service in 1997.
Future upgrades as part of continued service include new processors, improved defensive systems, and integration with the emerging B-21 Raider’s support infrastructure. These modifications keep the B-2 a viable strategic asset well into the 2030s.
