Two B-2 bombers were flown into Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson ahead of Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to two officials.
The stealth bombers are the same kind used by the U.S. to strike Iran’s nuclear sites in June’s Operation Midnight Hammer.
A view of a B-2 Stealth Bomber flyover attends Preakness 147 hosted by 1/ST at Pimlico Race Course, May 21, 2022, in Baltimore.
Paul Morigi/Getty Images
The B-2 is considered a symbol of U.S. power, as the bombers can fly around the world nonstop and can carry both conventional and nuclear munitions.
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
As Trump and Putin met on the tarmac, a B-2 bomber and four F-35 fighter jets flew overhead, defense officials confirmed Friday.
On the tarmac, a red carpet was laid out with F-22 fighter jets on either side. The F-22 Raptors, known for their ability to fly undetected and air-to-air combat, operate out of the air base already, officials said.
F-22 fighter jets are seen on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025, ahead of the arrival of the US and Russian presidents.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
It was not immediately clear whether Trump personally ordered the bombers and the flyover to the Air Force base as a kind of show of force ahead of his discussions with Russia, which also is a nuclear power. B-2 Spirit bombers have operated out of the base before.
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly praised the power of the aircraft and the skill of its pilots, noting that the seven B-2s used in Operation Midnight Hammer flew 36 hours straight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Iran where they dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs.
Trump has insisted the sites were “obliterated.” U.S. military officials say a damage assessment is still under way. On Aug. 6, he announced his administration ordered “new and enhanced” B-2 aircraft.
“It’s an amazing machine,” he told reporters, holding up a small model of the bomber.
