By Kris Osborn, Warrior

(Washington DC) Eluding Iranian radar and air defenses with a stealthy bat-like wing-body configuration, radar absorbent materials, EW, altitude, thermal signature management and forward operating fire support .... seven B-2s conducted a clandestine surprise attack which, Pentagon leaders said,  used massive, precision guided earth-penetrating bombs to destroy or degrade three of Iran's nuclear sites.  

"The lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow. As the President stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, told reporters June 22. 

President Trump strongly supports this view, as he recently praised the B-2's performance in a speech to the Israeli parliament. 

On the surface, the effectiveness of the B-2s may not seem particularly surprising, given that Iranian air defenses and radar had likely been all but decimated by Israeli F-35s and ground-fired missiles for more than a week. Caine explained that the B-2s were also supported by forward operating 5th-and-4th-generation fighters conducting what's called "suppression of enemy air defenses," a scenario suggesting that any remaining Iranian air defense threats were quite possibly further destroyed in advance of the B-2 attack. 

"Once over land, the B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex, tightly timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications," Caine said. 

Stealth B-2 Eluded Air Defenses

It would appear as though Iranian weapons and ground commanders were unable to "detect" or at least unable to "target & shoot" US warplanes.  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was clear that the Pentagon is "unaware" of any Iranian shots fired at US aircraft and the B-2 strike package  on the way "in" or "out." 

Regardless of the various factors which created this combat circumstance, this is an extremely significant achievement given that Iran is known to operate some Russian-built S-300s and possibly S-400 surface to air missiles.  Modern variants of these weapons, to include the more advanced S-500, are increasingly enabled by digital networking, target "sharing" technology, longer ranges and an ability to detect aircraft at greater ranges on a larger number of frequencies.  In recent years, Russian state-aligned media reports have stated that advanced Russian air defenses can even detect and destroy "stealth" aircraft, something which has not been confirmed.  Also, Iran may or may not be able to operate "upgraded" variants of these weapons systems, and the successful Pentagon and Israeli operations in recent days would seem to suggest that Israeli and US F-35s have proven quite capable of "finding" and "destroying" Iranian air defenses and establishing air supremacy. 

B-2 Modernization

While certainly a successful B-2 combat performance is not surprising, there are several potentially lesser recognized tactical and technological variables likely woven into Operation Midnight Hammer which raise questions about Pentagon modernization and possible operational breakthroughs. 

The B-2 attacks on Iranian nuclear sites demonstrated the continued utility and high-measure of performance which has been associated with the B-2 throughout its 30-plus years of existence. Not surprisingly, the Pentagon and the Air Force say Operation Midnight Hammer verified and greatly increased confidence in the B-2 bomber. 

In a special Air Force briefing on Operation Midnight Hammer, Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command Gen. Thomas Bussiere said the mission strengthened a sense of collective resolve that indeed the B-2 needs to surge into future decades. An interesting essay in Military Watch magazine stated that President Trump is interested in ordering more B-2 bombers, something which is by no means surprising given the historic success and recent contribution of the bomber. 

The B-2's performance in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya certainly confirm its continued combat effectiveness, yet few are likely aware of the massive extent to which the B-2 Spirit has been upgraded throughout its three decade-long service life. Since its first flight in 1989, the B-2 has become an almost entirely different aircraft through a long-standing series of upgrades over the years. These upgrades, among other things, likely contributed to the success of the mission and the continued relevance of the B-2.  Advances in Russian and Chinese air defenses have required the Air Force to ensure its B-2 would remain hard to target given that cutting edge air defenses can potentially identify some "stealth" aircraft. This does not mean they can be targeted successfully, yet the Air Force has been clear that the threat equation has greatly intensified in recent years. 

Accordingly, Air Force and Northrop Grumman data has stated that the B-2 has received a series of new technologies, to include a 1000-fold faster computer processor, cockpit and weapons alterations and a number of stealth enhancements

Today's B-2 likely has vastly improved stealth properties in areas such as “thermal management,” acoustical signature and radar absorbent coating materials. Certainly many details related to stealth enhancements are not likely to be available for security reasons, yet there are undoubtedly new technologies able to decrease the aircraft’s “heat signature,” making it less detectable to radar and infrared sensors. Should an internally buried engine emits a much smaller “heat signature,” the aircraft will fly at temperatures closer to the surrounding atmosphere, therefore making it less detectable. Newer composite materials may have been added, exhaust emissions have likely been adjusted and weapons developers are almost certain to have devised new ways to suppress the aircraft’s electronic signature while still enabling communication.

Improved stealth is critical to the continued relevance of the B-2, as it is designed to evade both lower-frequency “surveillance radar” able to discern something is “there” and higher frequency “engagement” radar able to “lock-on” and destroy a target. Enhancements to the platform have likely massively increased the B-2s ability to avoid both kinds of radar detection and hold high value enemy targets at risk against a modern, technological advance network of air defense systems.

Weapons

The B-2 is also quite different in terms of weaponry, as it is now configured with new software, fire control enhancements and interfaces to enable greater flexibility and a much more expansive arsenal. The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, for example, has been in development for many years, and it is a weapon the massive B-2 is able to carry and drop. The satellite images of the bomb attacks on Iranian sites reveal somewhat small or "narrow" holes of entry. This is quite deliberate as the Air Force has been developing earth-penetrating weapons for many years. They are configured with pointed or sharp front ends to penetrate the earth up to great distances, and armed with what's called a "delayed" fuse. This means the bomb itself does not detonate until it reaches its desired depth underground.  This naturally maximizes damages to targets deliberately buried beneath the earth. 

In yet another instance, the B-2 will be armed with an upgraded B-61 nuclear bomb. Newer B-2 weapons applications enable much greater flexibility for stealth bombers on attack;  the B-2 has also tested and air-dropping its upgraded B-61 Mod 12 nuclear bomb. Unlike previous or existing B-61 variants, the new B-61 Mod 12 combines specific attack attributes into a single weapon. This means a more limited yield nuclear attack, proximity or “area” detonation, earth-penetrating strike or large-scale explosive effect can be achieved with a single B-61 variant. The weapon is essentially “tailorable.” 

Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University

--