The United States Air Force sent one of its most advanced warplanes to fellow NATO member Norway to test its new ship-sinking weapon.
The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, in partnership with Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) assets, destroyed a target in the Norwegian Sea with precision-guided Quicksink munitions, according to a September 2025 U.S. Air Force news release. The Air Force’s 53rd Wing said it integrated the B-2 into a “long-range strike scenario demonstrating seamless cooperation and interoperability to defeat a surface vessel in a realistic setting,” according to the news release. The RNoAF confirmed participation of its four F-35A Lightning II fighters and a P-8A Poseidon in the “very successful” test off the island of Andøya in northern Norway, according to military news website The Aviationist.
The F-35A would be used for electronic surveillance and armed escort for such maritime missions while the P-8A would track surface targets and relay the data to the B-2, according to The Aviationist.
“This test is a clear example of how we work with trusted Allies to bring new capabilities in to play faster and smarter,” said Air Force Col. Scott Gunn, commander of the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, according to the news release. “We’re not just preparing for tomorrow; we’re shaping it together.”
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) developed Quicksink as a low-cost anti-ship weapon using modified versions of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The JDAM is a guidance kit that converts unguided bombs into “warheads for the resulting precision-guided munitions,” according to The War Zone military news website. An infrared-imaging “seeker” fitted to the nose allows the Quicksink to engage moving targets such as ships.
The first B-2 delivery of a Quicksink came during the 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise when the bomber dropped a 907-kilogram weapon, according to The Aviationist. In April 2025, a B-2 tested a 227-kilogram variant over the Gulf Test Range off Florida.
The location of the most recent test was significant because of Norway’s strategic position on NATO’s northern flank. Most of the bases and garrisons for Russia’s Northern Fleet are near the borders with Norway and fellow Alliance member Finland. Oslo plays a key role in European security by helping to prevent Russia from “projecting naval and air power into the North Atlantic,” according to a 2024 Rand Corp. report.
While Quicksink was tested in Europe, it has equal use anywhere in the world, including in the Indo-Pacific, where the RIMPAC exercise takes place.
A B-2 can carry 80 of the 227-kilogram class Quicksink weapons or 16 of the 907-kilogram versions in a single sortie, according to The Aviationist. The Air Force news release said the Norwegian test “advanced the development of both large and small variants of the precision strike system” while further evolving the B-2’s role in maritime missions.
“We are building readiness on both sides of the Atlantic and creating options that make maritime strike more distributed, survivable and integrated,” Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Bressett, 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron commander, said in the Air Force news release. “We anticipate, adapt, and respond to what our senior leaders need at a speed that’s relevant to the strategic environment we’re in — that’s what [our] 53rd Wing does best.”