Overview of U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities
On June 21, U.S. President Donald Trump announced precision strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation, termed "Operation Midnight Hammer," employed B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and GBU-57 bunker busters.
Details of the Military Operation
- The strikes were conducted by the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) and involved seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.
- The B-2s dropped 30,000 lb Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) at the Fordow site.
- Decoy aircraft were used as deception tactics to avoid enemy detection.
- A U.S. submarine launched over two dozen Tomahawk missiles at the Isfahan site.
- Total of approximately 75 precision-guided weapons were employed.
Impact and Assessment
Initial assessments indicated severe damage to the Iranian sites, although some U.S. officials later expressed doubts about the extent of the damage at Fordow.
B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber
- The B-2 is the only fully stealth aircraft in the U.S. bomber fleet, with 19 active units.
- It was first flown in 1989 and began operations in 1997.
- The aircraft has a low observability profile due to reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual, and radar signatures.
- With a payload capacity of 40,000 lb, it can carry two MOP bombs guided by GPS.
- The B-2's longest recorded mission was a 44-hour flight over Afghanistan in 2001.
Maintenance and Upgrades
- The B-2 is maintenance-intensive, requiring 100 hours of maintenance per flight hour.
- Temperature-controlled hangars are essential to preserve the aircraft's stealth capabilities.
- Upgrades include a $7 billion contract to improve stealth, communications, and engines by 2029.
Iranian Nuclear Sites and Context
- The Fordow facility is located deep underground and was acknowledged by Iran in 2009.
- The GBU-57 MOP was employed to penetrate and destroy the heavily fortified sites.
- The U.S. officially entered the Israel-Iran conflict with these strikes, supporting Israel's previous actions.
Future Developments: B-21 Raider
The B-21 Raider, a next-generation stealth bomber, is under development. It is similar to the B-2 but smaller and designed for rapid software integration. The USAF plans to procure at least 100 units, with each costing approximately $550 million.