[aviation news]
The U.S. Air Force has provided new details about the bomber crews involved in the recent strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, confirming participation from both active duty and Air National Guard personnel flying the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
According to General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the aviators came from units including the Missouri Air National Guard and represented a wide range of experience, from captains to colonels.
“Most were graduates of the Air Force Weapon School headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada,” Caine said during a Pentagon briefing Thursday. “When the crews went to work on Friday, they kissed their loved ones goodbye, not knowing when or if they’d be home. Late on Saturday night, their families became aware of what was happening.”
Upon return to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the aircraft flew overhead in formation before landing to a visible show of support.
“The jets rejoined into a formation of four airplanes followed by a formation of three…landing to the incredible cheers of their families,” Caine said. “There were a lot of flags and a lot of tears.”
Caine also noted that the mission included both male and female aviators. A crewmember described the strike as “the Super Bowl,” referencing the level of integration across Air Force teams, including scientists and maintainers.
Regarding the mission’s execution, crews trailing the strike aircraft observed the initial detonation over the target area.
“This was the brightest explosion that I’ve ever seen,” one pilot said. “It literally looked like daylight.”
While specific operational details and post-strike assessments remain limited, U.S. officials described the mission as carefully planned and rehearsed.
“We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we test, we evaluate every single day,” Caine said. “And when the call comes to deliver, we do so.”
37-Hour Flight
The mission, designated Operation Midnight Hammer, lasted approximately 37 hours round trip and covered more than 7,000 miles. Launching from Whiteman AFB, seven B‑2 Spirit bombers flew nonstop with multiple in-flight refuelings en route.
The aircraft journeyed roughly 18 hours to reach Iranian airspace, traversing the Atlantic and Mediterranean before positioning over Fordow, where they deployed six GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-busters—part of the 14 MOPs dropped across multiple sites, including Natanz and Esfahan
The B‑2s flew in near-total radio silence and utilized decoy tactics—sending additional bombers westward toward Guam—to mislead adversary air defenses. Intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, fighter escorts, and tanker support—part of a 125-aircraft force package—ensured airspace was deconflicted and protected. The first bunker-busters were released at around 6:40 p.m. EDT, marking the first combat use of the 30,000‑pound GBU‑57 targeting deeply buried facilities
Questions remain on the poststrike damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, with The New York Times reporting that they were “severely damaged,” but not obliterated. The White House and Department of Defense have disputed this reporting.
Share this content:
