Official reports indicate that rain and humidity have been one of the most serious problems for the advanced and stealthy US B-2 Spirit bomber.
The radio-absorbing layers (RAM) on the aircraft’s fuselage were subject to erosion in rainy conditions, and its complex and expensive design caused water to accumulate in various parts of the fuselage.
This led to a significant reduction in operational readiness, with sometimes up to 24 hours needed to drain frozen water from inside the structure.
According to a report by the US General Audit Office (GAO), the 2-B’s sensitivity to moisture was not completely eliminated even after the use of more advanced materials, and the bomber’s operational readiness rate in critical conditions dropped by 26%.
These problems with radar-evading coatings continued for years until Northrop Grumman finally resolved this weakness by designing special, more precise devices for applying wave-absorbing layers.
