The B-2 platform can carry a total of 40,000 pounds of ordnance within two separate weapons bays.

When the United States conducted its high-stakes air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear assets earlier this summer, the whole world was watching. Dubbed as Operation Midnight Hammer, the US-led assault included a strike package of seven B-2 bombers and over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles. A consort of supporting aircraft, including F-35 Lightning IIs and F-22 Raptors, also participated in the unprecedented military mission. On the heels of this successful operation, US president Donald Trump recently announced that the Pentagon would be ordering 29 new B-2 stealth bombers in the future. When describing the prominent role the B-2s play in America’s defensive strategy, one of the pilots involved in the 36-hour-long mission to Iran this summer noted that the role of the Spirit was “perfect.” According to Col. Josh Wiitala, who commands the 509th Bomb Wing based out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, Operation Midnight Hammer was “the biggest moment” of his career.

As part of the B-2’s mission over Iran, 15-ton GBU-57 bunker buster bombs were deployed. In the initial phases of the operation, a set of decoy Spirit bombers flew toward the west and into the Pacific, while the primary strike force of seven B-52s flew eastward toward the actual target area. As explained at the time by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, the B-2 bombers were refueled multiple times while in flight, requiring a “complex, tightly timed maneuver” involving multiple aircraft platforms and minimal communications. Perhaps surprisingly, when the B-2 strike force entered Iranian airspace, a US submarine launched Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles toward critical targets in infrastructure, while other support aircraft swept the area to fend off potential surface-to-air threats. In total, 14 MOPs (Massive Ordnance Penetrators) were dropped on the Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites in Iran.

The B-2 Bomber

The B-2 “Spirit” bomber is probably the most recognizable airframe in the US military’s aerial fleet. Its low-observable flying-wing design makes the bomber look futuristic. In addition to this feature, the platform’s special coatings and composite materials also contribute to its stealth profile. Size-wise, the B-2’s wingspan measures roughly 172 feet long. Powered by four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofan engines, each producing over 17,000 pounds of thrust, the B-2 can fly an unfueled range of approximately 6,000 nautical miles and can operate at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. In addition to the bunker-buster mega-bombs, which were deployed over Iran during Operation Midnight Hammer, the B-2 platform can carry a total of 40,000 pounds of ordnance within two separate weapons bays.

The Spirits’ role in Iran has certainly contributed to Trump’s announcement that an additional 28 bombers will be procured. When the US president visited Israel earlier this month to mark the beginning of the ceasefire and the return of the hostages, he discussed Operation Midnight Hammer. Trump noted that the B-2s “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, adding that “Together we helped stop the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism from making nuclear weapons. If we didn’t do that, there would be a dark cloud over this [Gaza] deal. This was our last shot,” he said. “If there were large scale nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran we wouldn’t be here today. We took a big cloud off the Middle East and off Israel. They took a big hit.”

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

Image: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com

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