Latest news with #RobertSpalding
New York Post
20-07-2025
- General
- New York Post
Bomber pilot spills on what it's like to fly a mission: ‘No time to be afraid'
Dropping bombs ain't easy Brigadier Gen. Robert Spalding, world-class bomber pilot, on how an airplane drops a 30,000-pound bomb. The General: 'Drop anything that heavy, the airplane jumps. Drop two, it jumps twice. Big jump. The plane suddenly goes up several hundred feet. You can feel them coming off.' Is there some fear for the pilot? Advertisement 'No. You're focused on the mission. No time to be afraid. Many things to focus on: the mission, going through enemy territory, be sure you hit your time correctly, do whatever the plane needs, navigate to the location. No time to think of being afraid. 'We've practiced this over a decade. The weapon was designed specifically for the B-2 bomb bay. Only aircraft to get across the target. Couldn't make bombs bigger. Didn't want smaller. Had to consider the different type of ground soil, construction, what they'd have to go through to detonate. Hard engineering. Then practice submission. Drop them on simulated targets with essentially the same composition. 'Such practice that it was almost like a milk run. It's why our air force is so impressive as an organization. High-level crews Advertisement 'Always two pilots. Over enemy territory it's high-level crews. Six, seven air refuels. Each takes a half hour. Both pilots are alert when that happens. 'I've had more scares in civilian life. Like landing with an engine out. It's don't panic, don't stall the airplane — people afraid kill themselves. They want to stay away from the ground, so they stall their airplane and crash. You must keep your wits about you. You can get into more trouble if you don't sleep with your own wife. 'Hours of boredom flying, the problem is staying awake. It's close quarters for 36 hours. Nerve wracking. Minutes of terror.' Advertisement What about sleeping, eating, going to the john? 'That's to the left of the hatch. Chemical toilet. Don't pee there because it'll overflow in a 36-hour mission. You just collect empty cans of beer. Not finest thing in the world, not very comfortable but it is functional. 'These planes are difficult to detect. No tail. It's almost like a line in the sky.' So when a brigadier general is not brigadiering, does he do mundane things like going to the supermarket? Advertisement 'Absolutely. Officers get into trouble because they don't drive their own cars, spend their own money, sleep with their own wives. Do all that and you'll be fine.' Ever been scared? 'Yeah. Of my wife.' Higher learning Applicant — whose previous choice was where they taught him to write on walls in Latin — applied to a new college with button-down windows: He asked: 'What are your courses?' Dean: 'Quantitative chemistry, philosophy, contemporary anthropology, abnormal psychology.' Applicant: 'Wait a minute. I don't know how to read yet.' Dean: 'Oh, another football player.'
25-06-2025
- Politics
Retired B-2 bomber pilot: 'We may never know' full impact of US strikes on Iran
Retired Gen. Robert Spalding joined ABC News Live to discuss a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment that found Trump-ordered strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by months.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
'With smartphones and flight tracking...': Former B-2 pilot on challenges of Operation Midnight Hammer
Retired Gen Robert Spalding who helped develop the mission plans involving B-2 bombers commented on the US's Operation Midnight Hammer that dropped bunker bombers on Iran's three nuclear sites, and said everything worked perfectly. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking to ABC News, Spalding said the mission took decades of preparation, including extensive work on the weapons system and planning. Maintaining secrecy is a major challenge for this operation, Spalding said, especially in today's connected world with smartphones and flight tracking. "With smartphones and flight tracking nowadays, we have to account for all kinds of data that could tip off the enemy," Spalding said. No radar can detect B-2 bombers and its unique design contributes to the stealth feature as it does not have any tail and any conventional fuselage. "The B-2 has two bomb bays that can carry very large weapons, and these bunker-buster bombs were specifically made to fit them," Spalding said. Mid-air refuelings, strict schedule for pilots The B-2 bombers were in the air for over 30 hours, requiring six to seven midair refuelings, each taking about 30 minutes. Spalding explained that there is a strict schedule of sleep and diet before and during the flight to keep pilots alert during critical moments. With a 172-foot (52.4 m) wingspan and stealth profile, B-2 bombers can fly 6,000 nautical miles without refueling, but most missions like the Midnight Hammer require multiple mid-air refuelings. During Operation Allied Force in 1999, B-2s flew 31-hour round trips from Missouri to Kosovo, striking 33 per cent of targets in the first eight weeks, according to the Air Force, Reuters reported. In Iraq, the aircraft dropped more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions across 49 sorties. The Air Force plans to replace the B-2 and B-1 fleets with at least 100 B-21 Raiders over the coming decades. The B-2 costs about $65,000 per hour to operate, compared to $60,000 for the B-1, Pentagon data revealed.
23-06-2025
- Politics
Former B-2 pilot shares details behind Iran nuclear facility strikes
A decade of planning and complex deception tactics made last weekend's historic B-2 bomber strike on Iran possible, according to retired Gen. Robert Spalding, who said he helped develop the original mission plans. The operation, named "Operation Midnight Hammer," marked the U.S. military's largest-ever deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and first use of 30,000 pound bunker-buster bombs in combat, Pentagon officials said. The 30-hour precision strike targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities, making it the longest B-2 mission since 2001, according to officials. "Everything worked perfectly," Spalding, a former B-2 pilot and senior director at the National Security Council, told ABC News. Spalding, who said he helped develop the mission plan years ago, told ABC News the operation required more than a decade of preparation, including extensive work on weapons systems and planning. The mission's success relied heavily on keeping Iran in the dark about the incoming attack. The U.S. military used decoy bombers sent to Guam to throw off potential tracking. Spalding said that hiding such an operation has become more challenging in today's connected world. "With smartphones and flight tracking nowadays, we have to account for all kinds of data that could tip off the enemy," Spalding said. The B-2's unique flying wing design makes it ideal for this mission. Its lack of a conventional fuselage and tail allows for a low radar cross-section, making the aircraft difficult for radar to detect. "The B-2 has two bomb bays that can carry very large weapons, and these bunker-buster bombs were specifically made to fit them," Spalding said. He added that while Israeli forces had already weakened Iran's air defenses, the B-2's stealth capabilities were crucial to the mission's success. The extended flight time presented its own challenges. Pilots had to conduct six to seven midair refuelings, each taking about 30 minutes. "There's a strict schedule of sleep and diet before and during the flight to keep pilots alert during critical moments," Spalding said. The strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, U.S. officials said. President Donald Trump called the operation "very successful" in a Truth Social post on Saturday evening.
CNN
20-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
The challenges of a U.S. strike on Iran's Fordow nuclear site
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert Spalding talks with CNN's Pamela Brown about the chances the U.S. could successfully disable Iran's Fordow nuclear facility if President Trump approves the operation.
