Stealth Bomber Snapped At The Sound Barrier

The US military has released a spectacular photograph showing its B-2 stealth bomber as it approaches the sound barrier over the Californian desert.The B-2, officially known as the Spirit Bomber, has been captured on camera reaching high subsonic speed during a flight over Palmdale, near Los Angeles.The image has been released to coincide with the announcement of upgraded military software for the United States Air Force's fleet of 20 B-2s.A statement from technology group Semantic Designs, which designed the flight management system software, said the project "will enhance and extend the lifetime of the B-2".The aircraft's unusual design and use of composite materials makes it difficult to be detected by enemy radar.The US Air Force operates twenty B-2 stealth bombers, some of which have been used in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.The B-2 can travel as high as 50,000ft and weighs 153,700lbs without its payload of bombs.