The US armed forces have made various significant moves in recent days and months, clearly in preparation for strikes on Iran.
First, in March, B-2 Stealth bombers were deployed to Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean – a good base for operations against Iran. The B-2s cost more than a billion dollars each and the US only has 19 of them (21 were built but two have been wrecked in accidents): they are only used for the most important operations.
In this case, however, the B-2s were probably not deployed because of their stealth technology. The Israelis alone appear to have suppressed Iranian air defences to the degree that they can operate more or less at will in Iran’s airspace, mostly not using stealthy aircraft. The US would clearly be able to do this too.
The significant thing about the B-2 for this mission is that it’s the only aircraft operationally certified to carry the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, the MOP – America’s most powerful deep penetration bunker buster. The MOP is so large and weighty (6m long and over 14 tonnes) that only heavy bombers like the B-2 can carry it. In the Western world, only the US has heavy bombers. This is the reason that only the US has such weapons. Israel could easily build a MOP, but it could not easily obtain an aircraft capable of dropping it.
The US armed forces have made various significant moves in recent days and months, clearly in preparation for strikes on Iran.
First, in March, B-2 Stealth bombers were deployed to Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian Ocean – a good base for operations against Iran. The B-2s cost more than a billion dollars each and the US only has 19 of them (21 were built but two have been wrecked in accidents): they are only used for the most important operations.
In this case, however, the B-2s were probably not deployed because of their stealth technology. The Israelis alone appear to have suppressed Iranian air defences to the degree that they can operate more or less at will in Iran’s airspace, mostly not using stealthy aircraft. The US would clearly be able to do this too.
The significant thing about the B-2 for this mission is that it’s the only aircraft operationally certified to carry the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, the MOP – America’s most powerful deep penetration bunker buster. The MOP is so large and weighty (6m long and over 14 tonnes) that only heavy bombers like the B-2 can carry it. In the Western world, only the US has heavy bombers. This is the reason that only the US has such weapons. Israel could easily build a MOP, but it could not easily obtain an aircraft capable of dropping it.