Latest news with #stealthbombers
LBCI
10 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
US used seven B-2 bombers for 'surprise' Iran attack: Top general
Seven stealth bombers were used in the U.S. attack against Iranian nuclear sites, which apparently saw little response by Iran's military, top general Dan Caine said Sunday. Describing the complex operation, dubbed "Midnight Hammer," Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said the "main strike package comprised of 7 B-2 Spirit bombers" flying 18 hours from the U.S. mainland to Iran with multiple aerial refueling. "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 added. AFP
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where B-2 stealth bombers' mission to strike Iran started in the U.S.
A group of elite B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that took flight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri early on the morning of June 21 headed for Iran, taking part in a mission to bomb three nuclear sites that President Donald Trump revealed hours later. The B-2 bombers conducted a series of strikes on targets in Iran, a senior Defense official confirmed. Those targets were Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in Iran, the president revealed in a social media post just before 8 p.m. ET, saying it was a "very successful attack." The B-2s, valued at roughly $2 billion a piece, are known not only for their stealth technology, but for their ability to fly long range and carry big "bunker busting" bombs designed to penetrate deeply-buried bunkers and facilities. Whiteman Air Force Base, southeast of Kansas City, Missouri, is home to the entire fleet of 19 B-2 stealth bombers and proclaims it "can project U.S. airpower anywhere around the world from its home station." Its 509th Bomb Wing is part of the Air Force Global Strike Command. The B-2 Spirit is a long-range stealth bomber, equipped to carry the heaviest U.S. bombs and nuclear weapons. Its design and materials limit its ability to be detected by enemy radar. Its flying wing design, composite materials and coating reduce its radar cross section, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report released June 18. All B-2s are nuclear-capable, equipped to carry nuclear gravity bombs, but not cruise missiles, the Research Service stated. It's the only aircraft equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, known as the "bunker buster" bomb. The B-2 has a total crew of two pilots. A wingspan of 172 feet and a length of 69 feet. Weighs 160,000 pounds. Each can hold two of the GBU-57s. Its design and build cost has been estimated at around $2 billion. More: B-2 bomber returns home to Edwards AFB for upgrades on 35th anniversary of first flight The bombers had been deployed at least once earlier in the year. Reuters, quoting unnamed U.S. officials, reported in April that as many as six bombers had been deployed to a U.S.-British military based on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. During Operation Allied Force, the B-2 was responsible for destroying 33% of all Serbian targets in the first eight weeks, flying nonstop to Kosovo from Missouri and back, according to the Air Force. During Operation Enduring Freedom, the B-2 flew from Whiteman to Afghanistan and back, the Air Force said. Its first ever combat deployment took place during Operation Iraqi Freedom, when it flew 22 sorties from a forward operating location, as well as 27 sorties from Whiteman. In total, the Air Force reported the bombers released more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions. In the waning days of the Obama administration in 2017, two B-2 bombers were among a fleet that dropped more than 100 bombs southwest of Sirte, Libya in strikes against the Islamic state and al-Qaeda terrorist targets. In October 2024, the U.S. attacked Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen with B-2 bombers. At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strike by the bombers "was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened or fortified." Contributing: Reuters, Kim Hjelmgaard, John Bacon, Kathryn Palmer This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: B-2 stealth bombers took off from the US on mission to strike Iran
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Starmer has chosen to make Britain irrelevant
As American stealth bombers swept towards their targets in Iran, there was one question that no one in the White House situation room would have asked: What does Britain think of this? Donald Trump had no need to care about Britain's opinion for the simple reason that Sir Keir Starmer chose to stay out of the operation and make Britain irrelevant. No B-2 bombers took off from Diego Garcia; no request came from Washington for Britain's permission to use the Anglo-American base on the island. Nor did the Americans ask for any other form of British military support. Many of our diplomats will be heaving sighs of relief. We are in the clear, they will tell themselves. If America and Israel turn out to have failed and Iran repairs its nuclear plants in a few months before dashing to make a bomb – an unlikely but possible outcome – then Britain will be able to congratulate itself on its prescience. If the whole enterprise is a tragic error, then it pays to be irrelevant. But there is a problem: the Prime Minister is not against this US operation; on the contrary Sir Keir's statement implies that it was necessary, saying: 'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat.' Britain was 'informed' of the military action 'by a key ally,' according to Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, though he did not say which ally or whether the information had come in advance. The world may conclude that Britain supports the American strike and deserves all the opprobrium that goes with it. You can be sure that Russia, China and Iran, itself, will draw this conclusion. The danger is that Sir Keir has chosen the worst of all worlds: by not joining the action he has made Britain irrelevant; by not opposing it he will share the risk anyway. The lesson should be carved in marble: the middle way is often the most damaging option. And if Britain is not prepared to use force alongside allies, then it would be better for our diplomats not to involve themselves in vital security issues in the Middle East. They will only be irrelevant when it matters most. Another conclusion is just as painful. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has delivered a masterclass in how to handle Mr Trump. Against his own instincts and the wishes of his most ardent supporters, the president has just embroiled America in a war in the Middle East. The heaviest bunker-busting bombs in the world, which only the US Air Force can deliver, have smashed their way into Iran's uranium enrichment plant buried in a mountain at Fordow. At a stroke, a vital threat to the state of Israel has received the heaviest non-nuclear blow that America can deliver. Mr Netanyahu achieved this by following a simple insight: Mr Trump helps allies who help themselves. Israel started this campaign without waiting for America, demonstrating its willingness to bear the costs and risks of military action. Once he saw how Israel was fully prepared to look after itself, Mr Trump decided to intervene with decisive effect. On the eve of this week's Nato summit, Britain and every European ally should take note. The more they build up their own military capabilities and demonstrate their independent willingness to use them, the greater the chance of keeping Mr Trump in the Atlantic Alliance. In all of this, no one has miscalculated more egregiously than Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. He did not believe that Mr Netanyahu would strike, and Israel killed Iran's entire high command with one opening blow. Khamenei did not think America would act either, judging by the obduracy of Iran's negotiating position at last-ditch talks in Geneva on Friday. He was catastrophically wrong on both counts. Now the ayatollah's entire military strategy and his nuclear programme lies in ruins around him. The long reign of this blinkered and inept 86-year-old is effectively over. Sir Keir can at least take comfort that he did not blunder on the same scale.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Bunker busters and B-2s: The tech behind the US strike on Iran
WASHINGTON, June 22 — The US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were involved in strikes on Iran's nuclear sites yesterday. Three Iranian nuclear sites were struck in a 'very successful attack,' President Donald Trump said yesterday, adding that the crown jewel of Tehran's nuclear programme, Fordow, is gone. The B-2 is one of America's most advanced strategic weapons platforms, capable of entering sophisticated air defences and delivering precision strikes against hardened targets such as Iran's buried network of nuclear research facilities. B-2 Spirit specifications: The US B-2 costs about US$2.1 billion each, making it the most expensive military aircraft ever built. Made by Northrop Grumman, the bomber, with its cutting-edge stealth technology, began its production run in the late 1980s but was curbed by the fall of the Soviet Union. Only 21 were made after the Pentagon's planned acquisition programme was truncated. The bomber's range of over 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km) without refuelling enables global strike capabilities from continental US bases. With aerial refuelling, the B-2 can reach virtually any target worldwide, as demonstrated in missions from Missouri to Afghanistan and Libya and now Iran. Its payload capacity of more than 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg) allows the aircraft to carry a diverse array of conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber's internal weapons bays are specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads which could include two GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), a 30,000-pound precision-guided 'bunker buster' bomb. Reports said six bunker buster bombs were used on Iran's Fordow research site. The B-2's two-pilot crew configuration reduces personnel requirements while maintaining operational effectiveness through advanced automation systems. The B-2's stealth technology incorporates radar-absorbing materials and angular design features that minimize detection by enemy air defence systems. Its radar cross-section is reportedly comparable to that of a small bird, making it nearly invisible to conventional radar. Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP): The 30,000-pound MOP represents the largest conventional bomb in the US arsenal, specifically engineered to defeat hardened underground bunkers. Its massive size requires the B-2 to carry only one or two MOPs per mission, but provides unmatched bunker-penetration capability. The weapon's 20.5-foot (6.25-m) length and GPS-guided precision targeting system enable accurate strikes against specific underground facilities. Its penetration capability of over 200 feet through hardened concrete makes it effective against the world's most protected underground installations. Conventional payloads: Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) provide the B-2 with precision conventional strike capability against fixed targets. These GPS-guided weapons can be deployed in large numbers, with the bomber capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets with high accuracy. Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW) extend the aircraft's engagement range while maintaining stealth characteristics during approach. These glide bombs allow the B-2 to strike targets from outside heavily defended airspace perimeters. Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) offer long-range precision strike capability with their own stealth features. The extended-range JASSM-ER variant provides strike options against targets over 500 miles (805 km) away. Nuclear payload capabilities: The B-2 Spirit serves as a key component of America's nuclear triad, capable of delivering strategic nuclear weapons with stealth and precision. The aircraft can carry up to 16 B83 nuclear bombs. — Reuters
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Deadly stealth warplane only available to US was deployed overseas prior to military attack on three Iranian nuclear sites
The US military moved a number of deadly stealth bombers, which only they have in their arsenal, to a Air Force base in Guam prior to the attack on three Iranian nuclear sites. On Saturday morning six of the B-2 stealth bombers docked at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri were on the move to Andersen Air Force Base. The warplane is the only bomber capable of carrying a 30,000-pound bomb that was likely used in Saturday nights attack on three separate nuclear facilities in Iran. President Donald Trump announced the US carried out a 'very successful attack' on the sites in a post on Truth Social. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan ', Trump said . 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.' The bomb, known as the GBU-57 or the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, is something only the US military possesses. The Fordo fuel enrichment plant is buried deep within a mountain system in Iran, but experts don't know exactly how deep. These aircraft are capable of carrying a payload as heavy as the 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb (pictured) that the US military could use to destroy a fortified nuclear facility in Iran called Fordo Experts who spoke to The New York Times believe the facility at its shallowest is 250 feet deep, but could be as much as 30 feet deeper. Nonetheless, GBU-57 is the only way to assuredly wipe out the facility, short of using a nuclear device. Jonathan Ruhe, the director of foreign policy for the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said this type of bomb is designed to use the force of gravity to 'penetrate through any mixture of earth, rock, and concrete before the bomb itself then explodes' underground. Ruhe told Fox News that the explosion could take out the facility fully or 'collapse the structure' around the target 'without necessarily obliterating it.' The precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the U.S. Air Force. It's believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet below the surface before exploding. The bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The B-2, which is capable of carrying nuclear arms, is only flown by the Air Force, and is produced by Northrop Grumman. It first saw action in 1999 in the Kosovo War, and is rarely used by the U.S. military in combat as each aircraft is worth some $1 billion. Prior to the attack in Iran, the military last used them in October of last year to combat Yemen's Houthi rebels and their underground bunkers. It has dropped bombs in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya as well. The strategic long-range heavy bomber has a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) without refueling and 11,500 miles (18,500 kilometers) with one refueling, and can reach any point in the world within hours, according to Northrop Grumman. America's involvement in the Middle Eastern conflict comes as Israel and Iran have been launching tit-for-tat airstrikes against one another for the last week. The war between the two countries began when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion on Friday, June 13. Israel targeted nuclear sites and military sites within Iran, while also killing many of Iran's top military commanders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation against Iran would last 'as many days as it takes.' 'We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program,' he said in a seven-minute video released shortly after what Israel called pre-emptive strikes. So far, Israel's strikes have killed 657 people in Iran, while Iran has killed 24 people in Israel. Israel's objective, to stop Iran from compiling enough fissile material to make a nuke, cannot be completed until the Fordo facility is destroyed. That's why Israel has been asking the Trump administration to get involved in the conflict, since the US is the only nation with the capability to strike at Fordo. For days, Trump has been coy about whether the US will in fact enter the war and fly a mission to Fordo. On Wednesday, he told reporters who were asking him about it: 'You don't seriously think I'm going to answer that question. Will you strike the Iranian nuclear component?' 'I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble. And they want to negotiate. And I say why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction,' he said. Trump warned that Tehran has a 'maximum' of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes if they don't abandon their nuclear ambitions. At a conference on Thursday, Karoline Leavitt said Trump would be making a decision in the next 14 days. Trump recently publicly disagreed with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that there is 'no evidence' Iran is building a nuclear weapon. 'She's wrong,' Trump said Friday in New Jersey just off to the side of Air Force One. 'My intelligence community is wrong.' Gabbard has since reversed course and clarified that Iran could produce nukes 'within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly.' 'President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree,' she added. Back in March 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that some uranium at the Fordo site had been enriched to 83.7 percent purity - dangerously close to the 90 percent level necessary for nuclear bombs. Fordo is smaller than the Natanz site, which has already been targeted by Israeli strikes. As well as being some 260 feet under rock and soil, the site is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Those air defenses, however, are believed to have been weakened by recent Israeli attacks. Additionally, any US strike carries significant political and diplomatic risks for Trump, who has long warned against entangling the US in overseas conflicts. For example, Russia has warned that US involvement could 'radically destabilize the Middle East.' Military engagement could also jeopardize any chance of Trump's desired talks with Iran over its nuclear program.
