Built to give America a decisive advantage in a nuclear war, the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit was the world’s first heavy payload bomber to incorporate a radar-defeating stealth design.

With the ability to carry eight times the payload of the F-117 Nighthawk and an un-refueled range of 6,000 nautical miles, the B-2 Spirit is a globe-spanning bomber that lives up to its ghostly name. Despite a 172-foot wingspan and the ability to carry 20 tons of firepower onboard, it’s alleged to be smaller on radar than even America’s F-35.

This bomber was so advanced when it entered service in 1997 that today, more than 25 years later, America’s enemies are still trying to catch up. Meet the B-2 Spirit.