The U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit stealth bomber has been integrated into Exercise Diamond Storm, part of the Royal Australian Air Force’s air combat instructor course.
A U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit stealth bomber recently participated in a bomber task force mission at Australian Air Force Base Amberley, Queensland, Australia. The Spirit of Texas aircraft arrived there on 11 June 2026 to be integrated into the RAAF’s Diamond Storm exercise.
Diamond Storm is the culmination exercise of the final stage of the Air Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC). The Australian Department of Defense said the presence of the B-2 allowed AWIC students to “practice their mastery of advanced air effects integration.”
“The Air Warfare Instructor Course is essential to ensuring the readiness of Royal Australian Air Force personnel and training the next generation of experts in integrated air power effectiveness to enable a strategy of collective denial in our region,” said Air Force Commodore Peter Robinson. “The inclusion of the B-2 Stealth Bomber in the exercise is a clear example of the strong relationship and trust between Australia and the United States, and demonstrates our ability to develop practitioners capable of operating at the highest levels of the international military.
Diamond Storm and B-2 Exercises
Held every two years, the Royal Australian Air Force’s Air Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC) is an intensive six-month training activity that graduates into aviation domain integration specialists. The course, which runs until June 2026, includes academic briefings in addition to Diamond Series training across Australia.
During exercises such as Sea of Diamonds, Shield, Spear, and Storm, Air Combat Instructor (AWI) students apply the lessons learned to challenging scenarios. The Australian DoD described Diamond Storm as the final high-intensity assessment of the northern Australian approach.
The B-2’s participation in Diamond Storm included fifth-generation integration with the Australian F-35, air-to-air support, and ground refueling in high-speed scenarios. RAAF personnel provided security and logistical support to the B-2s while they were on the ground at RAAF Amberley.
The B-2 Spirit was recently integrated with the RAAF air force during Exercise Diamond Storm in Australia. This advanced training strengthens interoperability with partners and enhances global strike capabilities in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/Qz8cWzSgW8
— Whiteman AFB (@Whiteman_AFB) June 26, 2026
“This advanced, all-domain integration is critical to maintaining the highest level of readiness, always-ready global strike capability, and integrated lethality with our coalition partners,” said the U.S. Air Force’s 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander. “This exercise reinforces that the United States does not face a challenging international environment alone.
Additionally, the U.S. Air Force stated in the caption, “This activity is valuable as part of our efforts to support collective deterrence in the region.” This will deepen advanced air-to-air integration between the Australian Armed Forces and the US Air Force, enabling both countries to operate seamlessly together.
The image caption released by the U.S. Air Force on the DVIDS network notes that the B-2 demonstrated agile combat employment maneuvers, including hot pit refueling and long-range attack capabilities. A RAAF KC-30 tanker also refueled the bombers during the mission.
The images also show the bomber sporting a white patch, first posted during a shuttle mission as part of Operation Epic Fury. At the time, this patch was found in the Spirit of Mississippi and the Spirit of Louisiana.
B-2 and Australia
The U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber has become an increasingly prominent component of U.S.-Australia defense cooperation. Indeed, Australia’s growing strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific has been highlighted through a series of Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployments in recent years.
The first recent large-scale deployment took place in July 2022, when four B-2s from the 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, arrived at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. This deployment, one of the largest overseas B-2 contingents in recent years, comes under the Enhanced Cooperation Initiative between the United States and Australia.
During its 2022 deployment, the stealth bomber participated in Exercise Kulendong 22, flying alongside Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets and conducting interoperability training with Australian personnel. The exercise demonstrated the ability of both air forces to operate together in complex scenarios while strengthening strategic deterrence across the Indo-Pacific.
The B-2 returned to Australia in August 2024 when the two aircraft, supported by KC-135R Stratotankers, deployed to RAAF Base Amberley as part of another Bomber Task Force rotation. The deployment follows broader efforts by the United States and Australia to expand the U.S. rotating presence across northern Australia.
BTF deployment also fits into the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment and Dynamic Force Employment concepts. This emphasizes operational unpredictability, a distributed base and the ability to rapidly project combat power from forward positions, making Australia a key hub for Allied air operations.
