In a precision-strike mission to be picked apart by historians for decades to come, U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped a bombshell on Iran’s nuclear program, conducting what military commanders describe as the biggest operational B-2 strike ever. Conceived as Operation Midnight Hammer, the seven B-2s flew continents undetected and dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs on two of Iran’s most fortified underground uranium enrichment facilities.
The attack was the culmination of years of preparation, the final hours a tightly choreographed exercise in concealment to keep enemies—and the rest of the globe—blissfully ignorant of the actual objective. U.S. officials explained how many of the bombers were flown down a fictional route as decoys, absorbing incoming fire while the main force inched forward in radio silence. The charade was also supported by public statements made by then-President Trump, indicating a decision regarding Iran’s nuclear sites was just weeks away.
The flight was itself a phenomenal undertaking, taking 18 hours and necessitating several in-flight refuelings. KC-135 Stratotankers and their experienced crews were instrumental in providing the bombers with the range necessary to get as far as the Eastern Mediterranean. According to Maj. Jeffrey Boesche, a KC-135 pilot, said these extended-range refueling missions are where aircrews acquire tactical experience and provide survivability in combat.
The B-2 Spirit is a technical marvel. With a 172-foot wingspan and four 17,300-pound-thrust General Electric F118-GE-100 engines, the aircraft is designed to carry out strategic, long-range missions with stealth.
Its ability to penetrate sophisticated air defenses and deliver conventional and nuclear munitions makes it a cornerstone of U.S. strategic strength. On this mission, all of its subsonic speed, 50,000-foot combat ceiling, and range were stretched to their limits.
As the bombers entered Iranian territory, they were escorted by stealth fighter jets and reconnaissance planes and exercised extremely tight radio silence to evade detection. A U.S. submarine off the coast had fired over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles several hours before crossing the border towards primary targets, such as Isfahan’s uranium enrichment facility.
The larger news, though, was the employment of 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, 30,000-pounders designed to penetrate hard-bunkered underground facilities deep before exploding. It was the first combat deployment of the bunker-busting bombs, a milestone noted by Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The subterranean Fordo enrichment facility took the full force of the attack, and the Natanz plant was also attacked. The attack lasted for about 30 minutes, then cruise missiles rained down, finishing the job. Iran dismissed severe damage and threatened retaliation, but U.S. officials referred to it as a surgical strike and a crippling blow to the nation’s nuclear program. No immediate radioactive contamination was reported by Iranian authorities and the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency.
The scale of the mission was gigantic: 75 precision-guided weapons dropped by a fleet of 125 aircraft, including tankers, support fighters, and B-2s. B-2 crew members, among them were women, a testament to diversity and ability in contemporary U.S. flight operations.
Operation Midnight Hammer was not only the largest B-2 combat mission ever flown, but the second-largest B-2 mission ever flown, surpassed only by sorties flown in the days after 9/11. The mission highlighted the importance of rigorous training and preparation, lessons learned as well during exercises such as Bamboo Eagle and Red Flag-Alaska, where the US and allied countries practice battling under disputed, high-threat conditions.
In the end, the strike demonstrated America’s stealth bomber force to be both plentiful and accurate, the untold worth of air refueling, and the military benefit of surprise and deception. As the character of international war is still evolving, the lessons learned by this operation will shape the destiny of precision strike warfare and the age-old quest for air superiority in technology.