B-2 Bomber helped Israel, but its origins lie in Hitler’s secret Nazi war files

As the United States deploys its most advanced B-2 Spirit stealth bombers in support of Israel amid growing tensions with Iran, few realise that this cutting-edge aircraft owes part of its existence to the Third Reich’s secret war files. The sleek flying wing design of the B-2, capable of evading radar and penetrating deep into enemy airspace, was inspired by a top-secret Nazi project known as the Horten Ho 229, a revolutionary jet developed in the final years of Adolf Hitler’s Germany. This curious connection between Nazi science and modern American airpower was made possible through Operation Paperclip, a covert post-war US programme that recruited hundreds of German scientists and engineers. Their expertise, once devoted to Hitler’s war machine, soon powered America’s own military ambitions from space travel to stealth technology.

During the Second World War, the Horten brothers, Reimar and Walter, were pioneers of aviation design, working under the Luftwaffe’s command. Their masterpiece was the Ho 229, the world’s first jet-powered flying wing, a radical aircraft without tail or fuselage. Its shape, designed for aerodynamic efficiency, had the added effect of reducing its visibility to radar, a principle we now call “stealth”.

The Ho 229 never flew in combat, as the war ended before the aircraft could be fully developed. However, in April 1945, American forces overran the German base where the prototype was stored. Recognising its potential, the Allies seized not only the airframe but also an entire trove of scientific documents — blueprints, notes, and aerodynamic data.

These materials became part of the haul brought to the United States under Operation Paperclip. The controversial programme secretly transported more than 1,600 German scientists, many of whom had worked for the Nazi regime, to help the US counter Soviet advances in military and space technology. Among the recruits were experts in rocketry, aerodynamics, and aircraft design.

In the decades that followed, American engineers continued exploring the flying wing concept, heavily informed by the Horten brothers’ work. This research culminated in the creation of the B-2 Spirit, first flown in 1989 and now the most advanced stealth bomber in the world.

With its elegant curved wings, composite materials and radar-absorbing skin, the B-2 can evade even the most sophisticated air defences. Its ability to deliver both nuclear and conventional payloads at intercontinental range has made it one of the most formidable aircraft ever built.

Ironically, as the B-2 now flies missions over the Middle East to assist Israel, a nation founded in the shadow of the Holocaust, its design is rooted in Nazi aviation experiments once meant to serve Hitler’s ambitions. The historical twist is stark, technology born in a bid to win a fascist war is now employed to defend a democratic state threatened by modern adversaries.

Operation Paperclip remains one of the more controversial chapters of post-war history. While it undeniably advanced US scientific leadership and Northrop Gunnman's innovation but it also involved moral compromises, as Nazi officials and collaborators were quietly granted asylum and employment in exchange for their technical expertise.

Today, the B-2’s legacy is inseparable from this complex history. As these stealth bombers continue to patrol skies in support of Israel, they carry with them a hidden lineage — one that began in the dark heart of Nazi Germany, was reshaped by American ingenuity, and now plays a key role in global power projection.