Where B-2 stealth bombers' mission to strike Iran started in the U.S.
A group of elite B-2 Spirit stealth bombers that took flight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri early on the morning of June 21 headed for Iran, taking part in a mission to bomb three nuclear sites that President Donald Trump revealed hours later.
The B-2 bombers conducted a series of strikes on targets in Iran, a senior Defense official confirmed.
Those targets were Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan in Iran, the president revealed in a social media post just before 8 p.m. ET, saying it was a "very successful attack."
The B-2s, valued at roughly $2 billion a piece, are known not only for their stealth technology, but for their ability to fly long range and carry big "bunker busting" bombs designed to penetrate deeply-buried bunkers and facilities.
Whiteman Air Force Base, southeast of Kansas City, Missouri, is home to the entire fleet of 19 B-2 stealth bombers and proclaims it "can project U.S. airpower anywhere around the world from its home station." Its 509th Bomb Wing is part of the Air Force Global Strike Command.
What is the B-2 Spirit?
The B-2 Spirit is a long-range stealth bomber, equipped to carry the heaviest U.S. bombs and nuclear weapons. Its design and materials limit its ability to be detected by enemy radar. Its flying wing design, composite materials and coating reduce its radar cross section, according to an updated Congressional Research Service report released June 18.
All B-2s are nuclear-capable, equipped to carry nuclear gravity bombs, but not cruise missiles, the Research Service stated.
It's the only aircraft equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, known as the "bunker buster" bomb.
What are the B-2 Spirit’s specifications?
A wingspan of 172 feet and a length of 69 feet.
Weighs 160,000 pounds.
Each can hold two of the GBU-57s.
Its design and build cost has been estimated at around $2 billion.
More: B-2 bomber returns home to Edwards AFB for upgrades on 35th anniversary of first flight
How has the B-2 bomber been used?
The bombers had been deployed at least once earlier in the year. Reuters, quoting unnamed U.S. officials, reported in April that as many as six bombers had been deployed to a U.S.-British military based on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.
During Operation Allied Force, the B-2 was responsible for destroying 33% of all Serbian targets in the first eight weeks, flying nonstop to Kosovo from Missouri and back, according to the Air Force.
During Operation Enduring Freedom, the B-2 flew from Whiteman to Afghanistan and back, the Air Force said.
Its first ever combat deployment took place during Operation Iraqi Freedom, when it flew 22 sorties from a forward operating location, as well as 27 sorties from Whiteman. In total, the Air Force reported the bombers released more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions.
In the waning days of the Obama administration in 2017, two B-2 bombers were among a fleet that dropped more than 100 bombs southwest of Sirte, Libya in strikes against the Islamic state and al-Qaeda terrorist targets.
In October 2024, the U.S. attacked Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen with B-2 bombers. At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strike by the bombers "was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened or fortified."
How does a bunker busting bomb work?
Contributing: Reuters, Kim Hjelmgaard, John Bacon, Kathryn Palmer
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: B-2 stealth bombers took off from the US on mission to strike Iran