It’s hard not to imagine the kind of suspense, technological marvel, and dramatic flair one would normally associate with a Hollywood blockbuster when thinking about the recent U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bomber strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites. We are looking at a very close-to-ideal case of today’s power projection – inaudible, razor-sharp, and profoundly impactful.
On the morning of June 21, B-2s took to the skies from the Missouri Whiteman Air Force Base. The flying wings, worth almost $2 billion each, were miles above the ground and made their way through the night to Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – the three most fortified nuclear facilities in Iran. The targets were more than simply the centers of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions; they’ve been carved in and guarded by some of the most advanced technologies in the entire region.
The mission ran without a hitch. The B-2s did their job at Fordow and flew empty-handed. This was, however, a strike with different connotations. It was a bold step in the conflict between Iran and its opponents, drawing the whole situation, which so far has been a hotbed of tension between Washington and Israel, right into the middle of it. The message was clear as day: the US was ready to leave the shadows behind and attack the core of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
A fundamental reason for the B-2 being the ideal candidate for this operation is its massive Ordnance Penetrator, effectively a 30,000-pound “bunker buster,” which allows it to destroy underground facilities once it can no longer be spotted. Although Fordow, the installation tunneling inside Alborz Mountain, was constructed to be resistant to traditional bombardments, the B-2’s stealth architecture and ability to infiltrate heavily defended airspaces make it possible for that bomb to be delivered right there.
Its stealth quality is what differentiates it most. The bomber is so minuscule in terms of radar cross-section that it is often hard for defense systems to spot it and identify it for what it is, perhaps like a small, non-threatening bird. That close to invisibility grants the aircraft the liberty of accessing enemy airspace and taking action before the guards even get hold of what is going on. The B-2 can be anywhere on Earth from its base with a combat range over 6,000 nautical miles – that is, if it is not refueled in the air.
The aircraft, kept afloat and maneuvered by only two people, operates almost entirely on automated control. Moreover, it has full liberty to carry up to 40,000 pounds of weapons, while the ammo compartments are concealed. Apart from being almost impossible to detect, the B-2 is currently considered the most difficult plane to intercept.
How were they planned, these types of operations? Despite the fact that all the 19 B-2s that are flown operationally are stationed at Whiteman, the Pentagon recently decided to move six of them to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Much attention was given to this deployment when the satellites took pictures as the Spirits were lined up on the runway. Such decisions are no longer merely of the logistical type but also political moves intended to remind Tehran about the consequences should it not give in to calls for talks.
A former US Air Force Colonel, Cedric Leighton, commented on this deployment to say that the move was an outright intimidation directed at Iran to halt the use of militias to meddle in the Middle East and acknowledge the possibility of facing punitive measures if negotiations fail. In this context, the B-2 is not just a weapon but rather a messenger, with the power of its presence being as significant as that of its payload.
The Spirit has already been to war and has been d very instrumental force in many theaters of conflict. The B-2 has been over Kosovo, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, and presently, Iran, and it has managed to build the most dependable aircraft to be relied upon when Washington decides on striking swiftly, severely, and without prior warning.
The accomplishment of every mission is one more time to acknowledge the principle: the B-2 not only bombs the adversaries when joining the fight, instead, he changes the war arena as well.
