B-2 bomber pilots had toilet, microwave and a cooler for snacks on their 37-hour Fordow bombing raid
The B-2 stealth bombers used to attack the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant are equipped with toilets, microwaves and usually a cooler for snacks to make life more comfortable for the pilots who were stuck in the cockpit for the 37-hour trip from Missouri to Iran and back.
The fleet of advanced American bombers — originally designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union — took off from the Whiteman Air Force Base outside Kansas City on Friday for an 18 hour ride across the world, refueling several times in mid-air, officials said.
For such long trips to be bearable, the high-tech bombers have their cockpits outfitted with mini refrigerators and a microwave oven to keep its crew fed an alert.
5 Pilots aboard the seven B2 stealth bombers used to attack Iran flew for 37, nonstop hours during the longest mission for the planes since 2001.
Department of Defense
5 The bombers are equipped with small coolers, a microwave oven and bathrooms to accommodate the crew during long-duration flights.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Scott H. Spitzer
And just like any plane equipped for long-haul flights, the B-2 Spirit has a toilet, too.
There's also enough room for one pilot to lay down and rest while the other flies the batwing jet.
The B-2 first entered service 1997 and each one costs more than $2 billion; the US Air Force has a fleet of 19 — after losing one in a crash in 2008.
With a wingspan of 172 feet and a crew of just two pilots — the B-2 relies on automation to help complete long-haul flights.
The seven B-2 bombers deployed for operation 'Midnight Hammer' flew in near complete radio silence, with their two-man crews taking turns to sleep during the tense night, The Telegraph reported.
The 37-hours spent to attack Fordow marked the longest B-2 bomber mission since the initial American assault on Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Pilots for these types of aircraft are trained to endure long, grueling flights, with past crews bringing cots aboard or even full camping pads, according to The Atlantic.
5 The pilots for operation 'Midnight Hammer' reportedly took turns sleeping as they flew to Iran.
U.S. Air Force
5 The seven bombers met up with a crew of fighter jets and support aircraft to escort them to Iran's nuclear labs.
Getty Images
The stealth bombers did not spend the entire mission alone. A fleet of fighter jets and support aircraft deployed to meet up with the B-2s as they approached Iran.
'The B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex, tightly timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications,' Gen Daniel Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, touted in a statement.
The 25-minute operation inside Iran began on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. ET, with a lead B-2 bomber dropping two GBU-57 'bunker buster' munitions on the 'first of several aim points at Fordow,' Caine said.
5 Aerial view of the Fordow underground complex in Iran after the American airstrikes.
MAXAR Technologies
'The remaining bombers then hit their targets, as well, with a total of 14 MOPs (Massive Ordnance Penetrators) dropped against two nuclear target areas,' he added.
It marked the first time that the US used the massive, 15-ton GBU-57 bunker buster bombs in a military attack.
'There is not another military in the world that could have done this,' President Trump wrote on Truth Social when revealing the attack on Iran.
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San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
B-2 bombers involved in US strike on Iran nuclear facilities return to Missouri Air Force base
KNOB NOSTER, Mo. (AP) — The B-2 stealth bombers that dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities began returning to their U.S. base in Missouri on Sunday. An Associated Press journalist watched on a clear but windy afternoon as seven of the B-2 Spirit bombers came in for landing at Whiteman Air Force Base. The base, about 73 miles (117 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only U.S. military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers. The first group of four of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes. The day before, the B-2s had been part of a wide-ranging plan involving deception and decoys to deliver what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as an existential threat and has been pummeling for more than a week. According to U.S. officials, one group of the stealth aircraft headed west from the base in the U.S. heartland on Saturday, intended as a decoy to throw off the Iranians. Another flight of seven quietly flew off eastward, ultimately engaging in the Iran mission. Aided by an armada of refueling tankers and fighter jets — some of which launched their own weapons — U.S. pilots dropped 14 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday local time on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran. U.S. officials said Iran neither detected the inbound fusillade, nor mustered a shot at the stealthy American jets. Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the mission carried out a 'precision strike' that 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program,' U.S. officials said, even as they acknowledged an assessment was ongoing. For its part, Iran denied that any significant damage had been done, and the Islamic Republic pledged to retaliate.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
B-2 bomber pilots had toilet, microwave and a cooler for snacks on their 37-hour Fordow bombing raid
The B-2 stealth bombers used to attack the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant are equipped with toilets, microwaves and usually a cooler for snacks to make life more comfortable for the pilots who were stuck in the cockpit for the 37-hour trip from Missouri to Iran and back. The fleet of advanced American bombers — originally designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union — took off from the Whiteman Air Force Base outside Kansas City on Friday for an 18 hour ride across the world, refueling several times in mid-air, officials said. For such long trips to be bearable, the high-tech bombers have their cockpits outfitted with mini refrigerators and a microwave oven to keep its crew fed an alert. 5 Pilots aboard the seven B2 stealth bombers used to attack Iran flew for 37, nonstop hours during the longest mission for the planes since 2001. Department of Defense 5 The bombers are equipped with small coolers, a microwave oven and bathrooms to accommodate the crew during long-duration flights. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Scott H. Spitzer And just like any plane equipped for long-haul flights, the B-2 Spirit has a toilet, too. There's also enough room for one pilot to lay down and rest while the other flies the batwing jet. The B-2 first entered service 1997 and each one costs more than $2 billion; the US Air Force has a fleet of 19 — after losing one in a crash in 2008. With a wingspan of 172 feet and a crew of just two pilots — the B-2 relies on automation to help complete long-haul flights. The seven B-2 bombers deployed for operation 'Midnight Hammer' flew in near complete radio silence, with their two-man crews taking turns to sleep during the tense night, The Telegraph reported. The 37-hours spent to attack Fordow marked the longest B-2 bomber mission since the initial American assault on Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Pilots for these types of aircraft are trained to endure long, grueling flights, with past crews bringing cots aboard or even full camping pads, according to The Atlantic. 5 The pilots for operation 'Midnight Hammer' reportedly took turns sleeping as they flew to Iran. U.S. Air Force 5 The seven bombers met up with a crew of fighter jets and support aircraft to escort them to Iran's nuclear labs. Getty Images The stealth bombers did not spend the entire mission alone. A fleet of fighter jets and support aircraft deployed to meet up with the B-2s as they approached Iran. 'The B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex, tightly timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications,' Gen Daniel Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, touted in a statement. The 25-minute operation inside Iran began on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. ET, with a lead B-2 bomber dropping two GBU-57 'bunker buster' munitions on the 'first of several aim points at Fordow,' Caine said. 5 Aerial view of the Fordow underground complex in Iran after the American airstrikes. MAXAR Technologies 'The remaining bombers then hit their targets, as well, with a total of 14 MOPs (Massive Ordnance Penetrators) dropped against two nuclear target areas,' he added. It marked the first time that the US used the massive, 15-ton GBU-57 bunker buster bombs in a military attack. 'There is not another military in the world that could have done this,' President Trump wrote on Truth Social when revealing the attack on Iran.
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
US Bombs Iran: A Closer Look at the B-2 Bomber Used in Strikes
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As U.S. B-2 stealth bombers launched from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on Saturday and later struck Iran's Fordow nuclear site in the largest B-2 operation in U.S. history, Newsweek spoke with Naveed Jamali, the only journalist to fly and film inside all three U.S. bombers, for insight into one of America's most secretive weapons. Stealth Characteristics The U.S. fleet of 19 B-2 Spirit bombers forms part of the airborne leg of America's nuclear triad—a trio of land-, sea-, and air-based deterrence and attack capabilities. The bombers, designed for low observability, are inherently "stealth" aircraft capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear payloads. Each bomber can carry a payload of up to 40,000 pounds. A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber flies overhead as part of a flyover from nearby Whiteman Air Force base on April 28, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri. A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber flies overhead as part of a flyover from nearby Whiteman Air Force base on April 28, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel One of the B-2's defining stealth features is its ability to minimize radar detection, with the U.S. Air Force noting it's due to a "combination of reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures. These signatures make it difficult for the sophisticated defensive systems to detect, track and engage the B-2." While some aspects of its ability to maintain "stealth" are classified, the Air Force has noted that its "composite materials, special coatings and flying-wing design," all contribute. On Sunday morning, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine said during a press conference that a "large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers" launched from the U.S. on Saturday as part of "Operation Midnight Hammer." "Part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort," he added. A defense official told Newsweek two B-2s were used in Saturday night's bombing. Jamali, who filmed and flew aboard one in 2023, told Newsweek, "If the B-2 wanted to leave Whiteman with no one knowing, they could do it," noting that it was intentional messaging by the U.S. Air Force that the bombers were reportedly en route to Guam. Following Saturday's bombing and Sunday's military reports, Jamali told Newsweek on Sunday, that the two waves of B-2s further underlines the "stealth" nature of them, as "one wave—that everyone was tracking—went to Guam, and a second, completely unknown wave went to bomb Iran." He noted that "these weapons are primarily about deterrence," given their lethality. When Jamali flew in one, the call signal was "death—there's no mistaking what that call sign means." The B-2 bombers involved in the U.S. military mission that dropped more than a dozen Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities departed Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri early June 21. The strikes occurred between 6:40 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET, with the bombers exiting Iranian airspace by 7:30 p.m., according to the Department of Defense (DOD). The aircrafts returned to the base Sunday. "We are unaware of any shots fired at the Package on the way out. Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission, we retained the element of surprise," Caine said. The mission was "the largest B-2 operational strike in US history, and the second longest B-2 mission ever flown," Caine said. A defense official told Newsweek via email on Sunday, "I cannot give you the flight time, but we routinely do 30+ hour sorties when needed." The B-2 bomber is built for long-range missions. In 2001, two B-2s flew a non-stop 44-hour mission from the U.S. to strike targets in Afghanistan before returning home, with several in-air fuelings. The stealth bomber's unrefueled range is approximately 6,000 nautical miles. Midair refueling is always a precise and skilled maneuver, but possibly even more so for B-2 pilots, Jamali said, as the refueling receptacle is located considerably behind the cockpit, limiting the pilots' visibility. "With most aircraft, you can see where the probe is going, but in B-2s you basically have to fly under the tanker," he said. "You can't see the receptacle because it is all the way behind the cockpit." Inside the B-2 Unlike the B-1, which has a crew of four, or the B-52, with a crew of six, the B-2 is operated by two pilots, a setup that makes its cockpit "much more spacious than other bombers," Jamali said, adding that there's even room for sleeping bags, as "it's not uncommon for one pilot to sleep while the other flies and to take shifts." The cockpit, while roomier than those of other bombers, still remains tight, with Jamali describing it as an "industrial setting" that is "by no means built for comfort for the pilots." The pilots, who are fitted with flight suits, oxygen masks, and helmets, sit in "incredibly uncomfortable ejection seats," Jamali said. He noted that pilots have to train extensively for long-duration missions, telling Newsweek that "in order for them to be operational, they have to fly a 24-hour, like a full day, in the simulator." A defense official told Newsweek that the planes are equipped with a toilet, but not a full bathroom. The aircraft, which Jamali described as "deceivingly big," stands 17 feet tall, requiring a ladder to get into it. The bomber stretches 69 feet long, with a wingspan of 172 feet. The aircraft weighs around 160,000 pounds. Although B-2 stealth bombers have been operational for 30 years, much about the jet and its operations, remains classified. Jamali noted that, unlike some of the other bombers, B-2s are stored in specialized hangars designed to protect their secrecy and shield them from both satellites and espionage efforts. Following the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, Jamali said, "The B-2, a 30-year-old jet, just demonstrated how relevant and lethal America's long-range stealth bomber force is."
