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Times of Oman
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
US details 'most secret and most complex military operation' targeting Iran's nuclear sites: Pentagon
Washington DC: The Pentagon on Thursday disclosed new details about the United States' secretive bombing operation targeting three Iranian nuclear sites, highlighting the crews involved and Iran's last-minute attempts to fortify the Fordow facility, CNN reported. In a morning briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the raid "the most secret and most complex military operation in history." While few specifics were provided, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine outlined how the mission was conducted and shared rare details about the personnel and technology behind it. According to CNN, the crews that flew the 37-hour mission included both men and women, ranging from captain to colonel, drawn from the US Air Force and the Missouri Air National Guard. Most were graduates of the elite Air Force Weapons School in Nevada. "When the crews went to work on Friday, they kissed their loved ones goodbye, not knowing when or if they'd be home," Caine said. "Late on Saturday night, their families became aware of what was happening." He added that when the bombers returned to Missouri, their families greeted them with "flags flying and tears flowing." CNN also reported that days before the mission, Iran attempted to fortify the Fordow nuclear facility -- which is embedded deep in a mountain -- by pouring concrete over the ventilation shafts that US bombs would need to penetrate. "I won't share the specific dimensions of the concrete cap," Caine said. "But you should know that we know what the dimensions of those concrete caps were. The planners had to account for this. They accounted for everything." Despite these adjustments, Caine stated that the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs used in the operation worked "as designed" and that trailing jets confirmed the weapons had functioned as intended. He also showed video footage of a bomb penetrating a bunker, with an orange glow and fireball emerging from the structure. However, the Pentagon did not offer new intelligence to support President Donald Trump's claim that the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program. Caine and Hegseth referred questions regarding the effectiveness of the strikes to intelligence agencies. "We don't grade our own homework," Caine said. "The intelligence community does." While the Fordow facility was discussed in detail, the two other targets -- Natanz and Isfahan -- were not mentioned. At Fordow, Hegseth remarked that a full assessment would require "a big shovel," noting that "no one's under there able to assess" the damage yet. An early assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, reported by CNN and other outlets, suggested the strikes did not destroy Iran's core nuclear capabilities and might have only set them back by months. CIA Director John Ratcliffe later said the facilities were destroyed and would need to be rebuilt over several years. During the briefing, Hegseth continued to defend Trump's characterization of the operation, stating that assessments are still underway but calling it a "historically successful attack."
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US Air Force sounds alarm on China's missile arsenal and 'Kill Web' threat
US Air Force leaders are alarmed by China's growing missile capabilities and its development of a sophisticated "kill web" for targeting US forces. Experts suggest a full-scale invasion of Taiwan is unlikely due to high risks. Instead, China might opt for coercive measures like blockades and political warfare to achieve its objectives, according to a Stimson Center seminar. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Leaders in the US Air Force have expressed worries regarding the missile capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its development of a " kill web ," noting that the forthcoming budget request from the US Department of Defense emphasizes enhancing defenses in the Indo-Pacific due to the escalating threat from China, as reported by the Taipei in the US believe that a full-scale invasion by China is both risky and improbable, suggesting that Beijing is more likely to adopt coercive measures such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its objectives. High-ranking officers from the Air Force and the US Space Force, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman, participated in a Senate subcommittee hearing to discuss the defence budget for the upcoming Meink and Saltzman remarked that the PLA is making progress in its ballistic missile capabilities . They noted that China possesses over 900 short-range missiles capable of targeting Taiwan, along with 400 land-based missiles that can reach the first island chain. In addition, they highlighted China's arsenal of 1,300 medium-range ballistic missiles that can strike the second island chain, 500 intermediate-range ballistic missiles that can reach parts of Alaska and Australia, and more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear payloads globally, according to the Taipei Times expressed his greatest concern regarding China's "kill web," which allows the PLA to monitor US joint forces and operations from significant distances. He mentioned last March that China had already deployed over 470 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites, which contribute information to a sophisticated sensor-to-shooter kill web. This type of "kill web," which connects sensors directly to strike units, speeds up attack execution through data sharing and automation, facilitating strikes to be carried out within another development, the Stimson Center, a think tank based in Washington, hosted a seminar titled "The Realities of an Invasion of Taiwan," in which senior fellow Dan Grazier, fellow James Siebens, and research associate MacKenna Rawlins examined the strategic, political, economic, and military considerations that China may factor into its invasion plans for from research that included field investigations in Taiwan, Grazier and his team concluded that attempting an amphibious assault on the island would involve significant risks, such as the threat of nuclear escalation , political instability, and economic fallout, with a low likelihood of success. Grazier indicated that the potential risks involved in invading Taiwan far surpass any possible benefits, while Siebens noted that China has various military strategies that could be more viable and simpler to execute, including a blockade, emphasizing that China is pursuing unification through political warfare and coercive tactics, as cited by the Taipei Times report.
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First Post
15 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
US strikes in Iran carry a message to China against Taiwan invasion — but there's a catch
Analysts have said that US strikes on Iran's underground nuclear sites have a message for China against the invasion of Taiwan. However, they have noted that there is major catch with this approach: Unlike Iran, China already has nuclear weapons. read more A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by 4 US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities carry a message to China against the invasion of Taiwan, according to analysts. China considers the self-ruled island of Taiwan a breakaway province and is committed to it reunification with the mainland — forcefully if needed. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the military to be ready by 2027 for an invasion of Taiwan for the reunification. Analysts have said that the way US struck Iranian nuclear sites and deploy a group of bombers as decoys to Guam in the Indo-Pacific showed that the United States was capable of fielding bombers in two theatres and conducting two parallel operations. As the principal challenger in the Indo-Pacific, the message could not have been lost on China. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, analysts have stressed there is a catch. Unlike Iran, China has nuclear weapons and any US-China confrontation is bound to be very different from a US-Iran confrontation. How US strikes in Iran sent a message to China Firstly, US strikes told China that its top strategic sites, such as the Central Military Commission command center and forward wartime headquarters, would not be beyond the reach of US bombs. Notably, the United States is developing 'bunker buster' bombs expected to be four times more powerful than the ones dropped on Iran last week. Secondly, the deployment of decoy bombers to the Indo-Pacific was a 'brilliant deterrence operation' and demonstrated US capabilities to operate across the world from Tehran to Taiwan, according to Miles Yu, a former State Department policy planner on China. 'This operation also served as stern warning to the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] as to what the American military is capable of, especially our ability to outsmart, outplan, out-coordinate and overpower any adversary in a long-distant global conflict, whether it's half a world away in Tehran or over the Taiwan Strait,' Yu told Washington Times. Such a message also told China that it does not 'own' the Indo-Pacific region, according to Captain Jim Fanell, a former Pacific Fleet intelligence chief at the US Navy. 'Not only did it deceive the 'open source' intelligence community and provide operational security, but it was also a very important signal that the [People's Republic of China] does not have any 'ownership' of the western Pacific, and that America is still the most dominant military force in the world,' Fanell told Washington Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thirdly, the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites served as the demonstration of Trump's will to intervene abroad if required and come to the aid of allies and partners. 'After the Iran strikes, I suspect that Chinese leaders will now be more nervous about testing President Trump's resolve' on Taiwan, Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told The New York Times. 'Caution is warranted, both because Trump appears more willing to use force than many expected, but also because his actions seem less predictable,' Cooper further said. But there's a catch Despite the gravity of the message that US strikes inside Iran sent to China, there is one catch: Unlike Iran, China has nuclear weapons. As China has nuclear weapons and has naval and air defence capabilities much better than Iran, any US-China confrontation is bound to be very different from US-Iran confrontation. Moreover, Israel holds a special place for the United States that Taiwan does not hold. Trump, or any other US president for that matter, may not feel the same security commitment to Taiwan as Israel. For decades, China has prepared for the invasion of Taiwan and US intervention. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Chinese leaders are confident that their military is much more formidable than the weakened Iranian forces that Israeli and US forces overcame, said Stacie Pettyjohn, a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, according to NYT. 'The US couldn't just swoop in there with an exquisite capability and launch a limited number of strikes and win. That is something that would be very clear to Beijing,' Pettyjohn further said. In the case of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan that sees US military involvement on Taiwan's side, the destruction will be at a scale not seen since World War 2, according to a wargame by Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The CSIS exercise concluded that US-Taiwanese forces will thwart the Chinese occupation of Taiwan, but the costs will be so huge that US military will be degraded for many years. 'This defense comes at a high cost. The United States and Japan lose dozens of ships, hundreds of aircraft, and thousands of servicemembers. Such losses would damage the US global position for many years. While Taiwan's military is unbroken, it is severely degraded and left to defend a damaged economy on an island without electricity and basic services. China also suffers heavily. Its navy is in shambles, the core of its amphibious forces is broken, and tens of thousands of soldiers are prisoners of war,' the wargame's report noted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Business Insider
19 hours ago
- General
- Business Insider
Behind the scenes of a B-2 bomber strike: How crews prep for hard missions like 'Midnight Hammer'
Pilots and crews prepare for missions with complex practice and scenario planning. Crews have to work through what happens if their plan falls apart. For B-2 bombers, that means training for contingencies, learning how to manage fatigue, and simulating long flights. The bomber pilots who flew over Iranian airspace or whose aircraft served as decoys during this past weekend's Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iran's nuclear program didn't pull this complex mission off on the fly. It was a highly secretive and challenging mission that would have depended heavily on extensive planning and training. That the B-2s involved, per the Pentagon's account, dropped massive 15-ton bunker-busters one after another down an exhaust shaft at the Fordow nuclear site speaks to the precision required. Business Insider talked to retired US Air Force B-2 pilots about what it takes to prepare for difficult missions where stress and fatigue can easily take their toll on the bomber crews. Retired Air Force Colonel Brian "Jethro" Neal was one of two pilots to fly the longest-ever B-2 flight in 2001, just weeks after the 9/11 attacks. He and fellow pilot Melvin Deaile clocked in a 44-hour flight complete with over half a dozen aerial refuelings and a last-minute change of plans that sent them to drop more bombs. How do pilots and air support personnel prepare for such arduous missions? Neal said the key is constant practice and having a clear plan for when things go south. "No plan survives first contact with the enemy," Neal told BI, repeating a common phrase among US service members rooted in the writings of a 19th-century Prussian field marshal. It refers to the expectation of chaos with combat and the need to be ready when that moment comes. "So we have plans, we have back-ups to the plans, the plan B, and plan C," the former bomber pilot said. It takes a village His entire unit sprang into action upon learning B-2s would be deployed to fly bombing runs into Afghanistan. That meant groups of civilian government workers, pilots, aircraft maintainers, and airfield managers quickly gathering in planning groups and sharing intelligence to start deciding which targets would be struck and what it would take to achieve success. Northrop Grumman's B-2 Spirit bomber is a sophisticated $2 billion plane built to slip past enemy air defenses undetected and drop either conventional or nuclear payloads on an enemy. The aircraft is built to deliver tremendous devastation, and it takes a village to get just one of these aircraft in the air, Neal said. A bomber unit's mission planning process is painstakingly detailed and involves walking through numerous scenarios, identifying pitfalls or tricky enemy defenses to work around, and incorporating key intelligence assessments flowing from multiple avenues to pinpoint what the plan and contingencies should look like. While top brass and pilots are deep in staff planning, aircraft maintainers are getting planes ready and verifying with planners the right amount of fuel a bomber should carry and how much air should be in the tires. That corresponds directly with the payload size, which is mainly about the weight of the munitions on board. Meanwhile, the air control tower is working to make sure the stage is set for military aircraft take-offs and landings. They are "coordinating and orchestrating traffic in the air to make sure they're going the right way at the right time," Neal said. Neal recalled the munitions specialists who regularly inspected scores of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, unguided bombs fitted with a GPS-guidance kit. A B-2 carries anywhere between 16 to 80 of these weapons, depending on the munition's weight. Then there's the aircrew flight equipment team, the airmen who make sure that pilots have the right gear for the trip — different gloves depending on the season and environment pilots are heading to, helmets, oxygen systems, survival vests, and even the occasional sleeping cot, which Neal and his co-pilot used for their two-day journey. The same crew will also oversee preparations for worst-case scenarios, like making sure parachutes are ready to be used if needed, or that 9mm pistols are loaded and ready for the pilots to take, in case they are downed in enemy territory, a real possibility against adversaries with sophisticated surface-to-air missile systems. Battling fatigue Without Netflix or books readily available to pass the time, Neal said that he and his partner used some of their lengthy flight time to review rules of engagement. The team was briefed before departure, but the fast-moving mission left little time for rehearsals, leaving the two to make the most of in-flight downtime. A colleague had recommended the men pack baby wipes to help freshen up as they approached their target, an attempt to help their brains lock in amid flight fatigue. "That was just another human touchpoint to it of trying to stay in the game," Neal said. "Human factors" like sleep, fatigue, and morale can all affect wartime performance. "You get to the point where it's the most important part of the mission. And the frail human body is not designed to perform at its highest level under those conditions," he shared. After a tense 20 hours of flying with little sleep, the pair was "just trying to do whatever we could to stay at the top of our game." This isn't unfamiliar, though. B-2 pilots train for the exhaustion that comes with excruciatingly long flights. "It's part of your mission qualification to get certified to do combat missions in the B-2, to understand how to manage your time, whether that's a long duration sortie" or a simulator, Neal's partner Deaile explained. The pair even did 24-hour-long simulations to practice enduring such fatigue, trading off one pilot sleeping while the other piloted the simulator. Bomber pilots train for a wide range of scenarios and situations. Ideally, everything a pilot does in combat — whether it's special in-flight maneuvers like aerial refuels or dropping bombs — is something the pilot has already done dozens of times, Neal said. "I want to make sure that I've been out there on the dance floor doing that coordination on a regular basis so that it's second nature."
NDTV
20 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Brightest Explosion I've Ever Seen": US Fighter Pilot On Iran Strike
A US Air Force pilot has described the detonation of a 14,000-kg bomb over Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordow as "the brightest explosion I've ever seen - it looked like daylight". The pilot's account offered a glimpse into the top-secret mission known as Operation Midnight Hammer. The Pentagon released new information about the June 21 strike carried out by B-2 stealth bombers. The mission was shrouded in secrecy and backed by years of meticulous preparation, advanced weapon development and intelligence gathering. According to General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the elite aircrew launched from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri not knowing whether they would return. Caine said, "A commander told me, 'This is a moment in the lives of our families they will never forget.'" One crew member likened the experience to the Super Bowl. The operation, launched under US President Donald Trump's directive, targeted three nuclear facilities in Iran - Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Of the three, Fordow was considered the most challenging, built deep within a mountain and fortified against nearly every conventional attack. According to Caine, the facility had two major ventilation routes, each featuring a pitchfork-shaped design with a main shaft flanked by two smaller ones. Just days before the operation, Iran had attempted to seal these vents with concrete slabs - a final layer of defence against a known threat. But the US had anticipated such moves. The Pentagon had been developing the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) - a 14,000 kg, steel-encased bomb - specifically for this type of hardened underground target. Caine said that all six bombs struck their intended targets. The main destructive force came from a combination of overpressure and blast waves that tore through the tunnels and wiped out equipment. Operation Midnight Hammer was executed over a weekend, with bomber crews from both the active-duty Air Force and the Missouri Air National Guard taking part. They departed on Friday, June 20, and returned on Sunday, June 22. Late on June 21, the families of the aircrew became aware of what was unfolding. By the next day, when the aircraft returned, the families were at Whiteman Air Force Base to welcome them home. With the damage at Fordow aligning closely with years of modelling and simulation, the strike has been hailed as a demonstration of US military precision, planning, and technological prowess - and a stark warning to adversaries operating in the shadows.
