One of the most exciting scenarios that will be analyzed by strategists for many years is the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers’ mission against the Iranian nuclear program. The operation named Operation Midnight Hammer was the B-2’s most significant combat deployment. To do this, 7 of these bat-winged bombers traveled untraceably across several continents and made their most powerful attacks on two of the most protected Iranian enrichment sites that were deep underground.
Such a mission was not just the result of a spur-of-the-moment idea. Years of deception and plotting culminated in the final approach being carried on like a carefully rehearsed drama. While the actual strike force made its silent approach, some planes were flown along the fake route to attract the targets’ attention and provoke their defenses.
The day of the incident was the only moment at which the true plan was unveiled, before which even President Trump’s public pronouncements had been suspiciously coordinated to indicate only a decision on Iranian nuclear facilities in the near future.
Their trip was exhausting. The crews of each B-2 took about 18 hours to accomplish the mission, and they all needed recastings for fuel in the air to maintain their flight. The crews of KC-135 Stratotankers are the ones responsible for the hard job of passing fuel at the high point of the sky and in the enemy’s airspace, which is what they usually have to do in long missions like this one. As one pilot said, they are the places where they have to operate at their best and prove their survival is as much due to logistics as to firepower.
One of the most remarkable war machines is the B-2 itself. Its 172-foot wingspan, among four General Electric F118 engines, provided it with not only stealth but also its long range. It’s designed to slip behind radar nets and bring down an enemy with the devastating payload it’s carrying, and it can do so just as well with nuclear or conventional munitions. They actually put it to the test with every one of its range, stamina, and stealth during this mission.
The bombers were escorted by stealth fighters and reconnaissance assets when they entered Iranian airspace. It was not possible to get even the smallest information via radio as there was absolute radio silence in place. Just earlier on, a U.S. submarine had shot several Tomahawk cruise missiles at other targets, including the uranium production facility in Isfahan, so they could proceed.
The major innovation was the deployment of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker buster that had never been used in combat before, which enabled the bombers to go deep underground and unleash the strike on Fordo, Iran’s most heavily fortified enrichment site. These 14 monsters were designed to drill deep down into the bedrock, after which their explosive force would be released. General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called this an event that would forever mark the development of American strike capability.
Fordo, the deeply buried Iranian enrichment plant, was the main target of the attack, but the large Natanz facility was also bombed. The first wave of air raids lasted barely half an hour. Once the bombs stopped falling, cruise missiles arrived and destroyed what was left. But Iranian officials said the damage was minimal and retaliation was on its way, U.S. leaders described it as an accurate strike that dealt Iran’s nuclear program a substantial setback of several years. Moreover, all international monitors reported no radioactive leaks after the incident.
Every detail of the mission was enormous: 125 aircraft, including tankers, fighters, and bombers, took off, and 75 precision-guided weapons were released in total. Women pilots were among the B-2 crews, which testifies to the evolution of present-day combat aviation.
Currently, the largest combat mission ever conducted by the B-2 is that of Operation Midnight Hammer, with only the immediate response flights after the 9/11 events being the exception. The operation was carried out with the help of the experience gained from years of joint exercises like Bamboo Eagle and Red Flag-Alaska, where aircrew train to survive the heavily fortified skies.
In the end, the raid reaffirmed three things held as true down the ages: stealth and precision are the main deciding factors, aerial refueling extends power way beyond borders, and deception is often as strong as firepower. As always, war today evolves, and so do the lessons of this mission, which will still be there when looking into the future of air superiority and strategic bombing.