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37 Hours of Grit: Inside the B-2 Bombers’ Marathon Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
The article, published by CNN on June 25, 2025, details the grueling 37-hour mission undertaken by U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bomber pilots targeting three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan—on June 22, 2025, in an operation dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer." This mission, one of the longest air raids in modern military history, involved seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with a two-person crew, flying nonstop from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Iran and back, covering approximately 11,400 kilometers. The operation was a massive undertaking, involving over 125 aircraft, including additional B-2s used as decoys, fighter jets, reconnaissance planes, and refueling tankers.
Retired Air Force Colonel Melvin G. Deaile, who holds the record for the longest B-2 mission (44 hours over Afghanistan in 2001), described the Iran raid as an “incredible feat” due to the coordination of seven bombers executing independent bomb runs within a 30-minute window. Deaile, now director of the School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies, shared insights from his 2001 mission, noting that his comments reflect personal experience, not official Department of Defense statements.
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The mission required meticulous preparation, including sleep cycle training in simulators (typically 24 hours), nutritional planning, and mental conditioning. Flight doctors provided sleeping pills to rest crews beforehand and authorized “go pills” (amphetamines) to maintain alertness during the mission, though Deaile noted policies might have changed.
The B-2, built by Northrop Grumman and costing over $2 billion per aircraft, is designed for stealth and long-range missions, capable of carrying massive payloads like the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs used for the first time in combat during this raid. Each bomber carried two MOPs, totaling over a dozen dropped on fortified targets, particularly Fordo, which is buried deep within a mountain. The mission also involved Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a U.S. submarine targeting Isfahan, with no reported Iranian defensive engagement.
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The article highlights the extreme physical and mental endurance required. Pilots managed sleep through brief naps on a small cot behind the cockpit seats, with one pilot resting while the other flew, except during critical phases like takeoff, landing, refueling, and bombing. The cockpit’s austere conditions included a primitive chemical toilet used sparingly for “pertinent emergencies” and “piddle packs” (Ziploc-like bags with kitty litter) for urination due to high water intake to combat dehydration at high altitudes. Privacy was minimal, with pilots relying on mutual courtesy. Meals were provided, but low physical activity meant pilots consumed little food, focusing on hydration.
Retired Lieutenant General Steven Basham, who flew B-2s in combat over Serbia in 1999, described the takeoff as “the most surreal moment,” emphasizing the secrecy and significance of the mission. The operation’s success relied on stealth tactics, deception (e.g., decoy bombers sent to Guam), and precise coordination with support aircraft. Post-mission, pilots underwent debriefings, viewed strike footage, ate, and rested. The return to U.S. airspace, greeted by a controller’s “welcome home,” provided a morale boost after the exhausting flight. The article underscores the B-2’s unique capabilities and the extraordinary demands on its pilots, blending advanced technology with human resilience.
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