B-2 Spirit tested the QUICKSINK sea-strike weapon off Andoya

A test carried out off Andoya in early September saw the B-2 Spirit trial QUICKSINK-equipped JDAM munitions against long-range maritime targets — conducted simultaneously with a Barents Sea operation alongside NATO allies.

In early September, the U.S. Air Force successfully tested the next-generation maritime target-strike weapon QUICKSINK off Andoya Island in northern Norway. The trial included the operational stealth bomber B-2 Spirit, Norwegian F-35s and a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft.

The operation was conducted concurrently with a joint naval campaign launched in the Barents Sea with NATO allies. According to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, JDAM-guided bombs (GBU-38 500 lb and GBU-31 2,000 lb) fitted with new seeker heads offer a low-cost, high-precision solution against fixed and moving maritime targets.

Test details

Platform: B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.

Munitions: GBU-38 (500 lb) and GBU-31 (2,000 lb) JDAMs fitted with the QUICKSINK seeker head.

Participants: U.S. Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force (4× F-35 + 1× P-8).

Visual evidence: Photos released by the Norwegian military show moments of the B-2 releasing a bomb on the target vessel and an impact captured from a submarine periscope.

Test date/area: Early September (off Andoya, Norway).

Ongoing test series: The Andoya trial was QUICKSINK’s third test involving the B-2; previous trials took place in July 2024 in Hawaii (2,000 lb variant) and Florida (500 lb variant).

B-2 carriage capacity and mission role

Official figures state the B-2 can carry up to approximately 40,000 pounds of ordnance; this allows loading 80 × 500 lb bombs or 20 × 2,000 lb bombs simultaneously. The aircraft is designed as a platform to penetrate advanced air-defence networks and strike “heavily defended” maritime and land targets.