New video offers a first-ever look inside the cockpit of the legendary B-2 stealth bomber

• The B-2 Spirit bomber is a multi-role stealth bomber able to penetrate sophisticated enemy defenses to strike targets with conventional and nuclear payloads.
• For the first time in the 30-year history of the B-2 program, the US Air Force has allowed a civilian journalist to record a flight from inside the cockpit of one of these powerful bombers.
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A new video offers a look at the inside of the B-2 Spirit bomber for the first time in the three-decade history of one of America's most secretive aerial weapons.

The US Air Force allowed a civilian journalist to board a B-2 stealth bomber and record the flight from inside the cockpit, capturing exclusive footage of one of the service's most closely-guarded secrets.

The video was taken by documentary filmmaker Jeff Bolton aboard a B-2A with the 509th Bomb Wing out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Miss., the only operational base for the Spirits.

"In an era of rising tensions between global nuclear powers - the United States, China, Russia, and North Korea - this timely video of is a vivid reminder of the B-2's unique capabilities," Bolton said in a statement. "No other stealth bombers are known to exist in the world."

Another video from Bolton shows external footage of the B-2 refueling in flight, in addition to more shots from inside the cockpit.

The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role stealth bomber capable of penetrating sophisticated enemy defenses to strike targets with both conventional and nuclear payloads. The unmatched aircraft is a cornerstone of America's nuclear deterrence capabilities.