Emergency Landing Grounds Critical B‑2A Bomber in Hawaii During Strategic Ruse

A U.S. Air Force B‑2A Spirit stealth bomber made an unscheduled landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, on June 21 after declaring an in-flight emergency, sources familiar with the operation have confirmed.

The bomber, identified by callsign MYTEE 14, had been part of a deliberate “decoy” mission, flying west over the Pacific alongside tanker support to simulate an imminent deployment toward the Iran theater—while the actual combat group proceeded separately over the Atlantic. This strategic ruse aimed to confuse open-source intelligence tracking.

Aircraft trackers noted that MYTEE 14 diverted to Honolulu during the mission. Visual evidence from satellite imagery and spotter photos shows the bomber parked on the airport apron, guarded by local authorities. The aircraft remains grounded pending technical inspection and repairs.

This incident highlights the logistical and maintenance challenges associated with the B‑2 fleet. With only 19 aircraft in service, each bomber is a rare and highly valuable asset. Their operation demands intensive upkeep, particularly for their advanced low-observable coatings and complex avionics.

Air Force Global Strike Command, responsible for the B‑2s, declined to comment directly, stating only that the command “maintains the capability to provide global strike anywhere, at the time of the President's choosing” and that its forces are “always ready to work alone or fully integrate with our many allies and partners.”

The arrival of the bomber in Hawaii—still under emergency status—underscores both its operational significance and vulnerability. Forward basing at Alaskan, Pacific, or Indo-Pacific facilities offers strategic reach but also presents logistical hurdles for repairs and sustainment far from the home base in Missouri.

While no mission details have been officially released, analysts speculated that the westbound sortie may have been part of a broader attempt to sow confusion about U.S. strategic bomber posture. The B‑2 remains central to America’s long-range precision strike capabilities and is the only platform cleared to deploy the 30,000-pound GBU‑57 “Massive Ordnance Penetrator.”

For now, MYTEE 14 remains grounded in Honolulu, awaiting maintenance. The incident is a reminder that even the most advanced weapons systems require a resilient support infrastructure—where a single technical fault can scramble strategic plans.