The B-2 Spirit Bomber Did the Heavy Lifting Against Iran—Again
Airmen assigned to the 393rd Bomber Generation Squadron unload cargo from a B-2 Spirit at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, on May 9, 2025. The B-2 led both “Operation Midnight Hammer” and “Operation Epic Fury,” two US military operations against Iran. (Shutterstock/rikinik)
The B-2 Spirit Bomber Did the Heavy Lifting Against Iran—Again
During “Operation Epic Fury,” the American stealth bomber entered Iranian airspace and bombed its targets before slipping out unscathed—mirroring last year’s “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Sunday that B-2 Spirit long-range strategic bombers, carrying 2,000-pound bombs, had struck “hardened” ballistic missile sites in Iran as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury.
“No nation should ever doubt America’s resolve,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Four B-2 Spirit bombers, reportedly with the call signs “Petro 41” through “Petro 44,” took part in the mission, flying round-trip from Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, to hit the underground facilities in Iran. The Spirits were supported by F-35 Lightning IIs, F-22 Raptors, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the strikes.
The B-2s returned to Dyess AFB, Texas, due to weather at Whiteman, according to a report from Air & Space Forces magazine, citing an open-source intelligence analyst TheIntelFrog. It is unclear when they will return to Whiteman.
The B-2 Spirit’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 1997
- Number Built: 21 (19 still operational)
- Length: 69 ft (21.0 m)
- Wingspan: 172 ft (52.4 m)
- Weight (MTOW): ~336,500 lb (152,200 kg)
- Engines: Four General Electric F118-GE-100 turbofans (~17,300 lbf thrust each)
- Top Speed: ≈630–650 mph (~1,010–1,045 km/h) / ~Mach 0.95
- Range: ~6,000 nmi (6,900 mi, 11,112 km) unrefueled (intercontinental with aerial refueling; global reach)
- Service Ceiling: ~50,000 ft (15,240 m)
- Loadout: Internal weapons bays; roughly ~40,000 lb (≈18,000 kg) of ordnance — nuclear and conventional mission sets (B61/B83 certified historically), precision-guided bombs (JDAM, SDB), and select standoff munitions depending on loadout
- Aircrew: 2 (pilot and mission commander)
Production of the B-2 aircraft ran from 1988 until 2000. However, during that time, only 20 production models of the aircraft were built, along with one flight prototype. With the loss of two in accidents, the entire fleet consists of just 19 B-2 Spirits today.
America’s B-2s Are Spending a Lot of Time over Iran
This was not the first instance of B-2 bombers over Iran. Seven of the advanced stealth aircraft were also used to strike Tehran’s nuclear program at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz during last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer, and an undisclosed number of Spirits carried out attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen during Operation Rough Rider in the spring of 2025.
B-2s had previously struck the Iranian-backed Houthis during the Biden administration in 2024.
Last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer saw the B-2s spend more than 37 hours in the sky. The biggest advantage of such long-range missions is that the bombers don’t have to be forward-deployed to another airbase. Nor do the ground crews and other support personnel have to leave Whiteman AFB.
The B-2s Carried 2,000 Pound Bombs
During Operation Midnight Hammer, the seven B-2s each carried the “bunker-busting” GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. However, this past weekend, the Spirits are believed to have carried the GBU-31 2,000-pound guided bomb, the same ordnance that had been dropped on the Houthis last year.
The GBU-31 “Joint Direct Attack Munition” (JDAM) was developed to destroy heavily fortified structures and other large or high-value targets. It is equipped with a GPS-aided inertial navigation system (INS) that allows target coordinates to be loaded into the ordnance before takeoff or updated during flight, enabling autonomous navigation after release from the aircraft.
In addition to the B-2, the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F-35 Lightning II can carry the GBU-31..
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciuhascontributedmore than 3,200 published pieces to more than 4 dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also acontributing writerfor Forbes andClearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter:@PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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