In a bold, perfectly coordinated operation, U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers executed what military commanders say is the largest operational B-2 strike in history, striking Iran’s nuclear program. Code-named Operation Midnight Hammer, seven B-2s traveled thousands of miles undetected, dropping massive bunker-busting bombs on two of the nation’s most highly fortified underground uranium enrichment facilities.
The operation was years in preparation, with each last hour meticulously planned to conceal the real goal from curious eyes. Some of the bombers were specially dispatched along decoy paths to divert attention while the majority force moved stealthily in strict radio silence. Even public statements by then-President Trump that suggested an imminent announcement regarding Iran’s nuclear sites were also part of the larger plan of deception.
To fly the mission so far out was an undertaking in itself. The bombers were aloft for 18 hours, surviving on several midair refuelings from KC-135 Stratotankers. “Those long-endurance missions are important to provide hands-on tactical training to crews and to make sure the planes can reach out to far-off targets safely,” says Maj. Jeffrey Boesche, a KC-135 pilot.
The B-2 Spirit is an engineering wonder. At 172 feet, its wingspan is as wide as a football field, and it has four powerful General Electric F118 engines. It is constructed for long-range missions that require stealth and accuracy. Its capability to penetrate advanced air defense systems with conventional and nuclear weaponry has been a central part of U.S. strategic power for many years. Its speed, altitude capacity, and range were taken to the extreme on this mission.
After entering Iranian airspace, bombers were accompanied by stealth fighters and spy planes, which flew in total radio silence to remain undetected. Hours before, the B-2s had been preceded by a U.S. submarine’s launch of over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key targets, such as the uranium enrichment plant near Isfahan, to further weaken defenses for the B-2s.
The highlight of the strike was the initial combat deployment of 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators. The 30,000-pound bombs are intended to dig deep into deeply buried hardened underground bunkers before exploding, a first, according to Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The underground Fordo enrichment plant was the main target of the attack, with the Natanz site also hit. The targeted precision attack took about 30 minutes, before cruise missiles knocked out the targeted facilities to neutralize the targets.
Iran minimized the destruction and warned it would retaliate, with U.S. officials terming the operation as a surgical, crippling blow to its nuclear program. There was no immediate radioactive contamination, according to both Iranian reports and international nuclear monitoring organizations.
The scope of the mission was vast: 75 precision-guided bombs from a force of 125 aircraft, including bombers, refueling tankers, and escort fighters. The B-2 crews comprised women, a testament to the increasing diversity and skill of modern-day U.S. flight operations.
Operation Midnight Hammer was not only the largest B-2 combat mission ever conducted but also the second-largest of all time, falling short only of sorties flown in the initial days following 9/11. The mission underscored the value of intense training, careful planning, and multinational exercises like Bamboo Eagle and Red Flag-Alaska, which condition U.S. forces to perform under extreme-threat scenarios.
In the end, the strike highlighted the precision and reliability of the stealth bomber fleet, the strategic importance of air refueling, and the benefit of meticulous deception. As warfare remains a constantly evolving threat, lessons of this operation are dictating the future of precision strike missions and the continuing pursuit of air superiority through cutting-edge technology.