Pentagon video shows B-2 bombers taking off from US base to strike Iran under Operation Midnight Hammer
The B-2 bombers flew for 37 hours nonstop while striking the nuclear facilities in Iran's Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz, and refuelled several times mid-air before returning to their home base. Follow Israel Iran war live updates
Estimated to be worth around $2 billion, the stealth bombers roughly covered 11,400 kilometers from the Missouri airbase to Iran and then back to the US.
The video, released by the US, shows the advanced jets leaving the aircraft hanger at the airbase and taking off at 12:01 am. The footage then cuts to the B-2 bombers returning to base in the morning hours after striking the Iranian nuclear sites. WATCH:
The B-2 jets dropped their payload of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a bunker buster bomb that can only be carried by the stealth bombers.
The 'Spirits' can carry two GBU-57 MOP bombs, each weighing around 13 tons (13,000 kg). These US-built bombs can reportedly penetrate deep underground, smashing through rock or concrete, before exploding. ALSO READ | Operation Midnight Hammer timeline: Here's how US carried out 18 hour long mission against Iran
The GBU-57 penetrates up to 200 feet of earth or 60 feet of concrete, ideal for fortified sites such as Iran's underground nuclear facilities. Operation Midnight Hammer: US strikes Iran
Amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, and the US offering support to its ally, Jerusalem, against the backdrop of its nuclear deal with Tehran, the American Air Force hit Iranian nuclear sites this weekend.
The US strikes on Iran were executed under 'Operation Midnight Hammer', which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said was "an incredible and overwhelming success". ALSO READ | B-2 stealth bomber: How many bunker busters can it carry? Can it be detected? All FAQs answered
Air Force General Dan Caine disclosed during a press briefing that the US deployed 75 precision-guided munitions, including 14 GBU-57 bunker buster bombs. In addition, over two dozen Tomahawk missiles and more than 125 military aircraft were used in the operation.
The B-2 bombers took off from the Whiteman Air Force base at 12:01 am (EDT) and joined the support package at the US CENTCOM (Central Command). Following this, a US submarine launched the Tomahawk missiles at around 2 am in Iran.
The stealth bombers first struck the Fordow underground nuclear facility. Between 6:40 pm and 7:05 pm (EDT), all three nuclear sites were hit.
After carrying out the strikes, the B-2 bombers successfully returned to the Whiteman Air Force base on the morning of June 22.
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