B-2 Bombers Head West Across Pacific Amidst Iran Crisis

Yahoo

8 hours ago

At least two separate groups of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers are currently heading westward across the Pacific Ocean, but their exact final destination is currently unclear. The bomber movements come as U.S. officials have been deliberating whether or not to join Israel's ongoing campaign against Iran, and President Donald Trump has said a final decision could come within the next two weeks. B-2s carrying 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs are widely seen as the only readily available conventional option for targeting the deeply-buried enrichment facility at Fordo, in particular, short of a ground raid.Online flight tracking data, together with publicly available air traffic control audio, shows at least two separate flights of B-2 bombers using the call signs Mytee 11 and Mytee 21 departing Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri overnight, supported by a large force of aerial refueling tankers. Whiteman is the main operating base for the Air Force's entire fleet of 19 B-2s. The stealth bombers headed west and subsequently linked up with additional tankers off the coast of California.
The B-2s have begun their oceanic crossing over the Pacific.MYTEE 11 flt and MYTEE 21 flt wkg SAN FRANCISCO RADIO on HF this morning after refueling with HIFI 81 flt (KC-46) and HIFI 83 flt (KC-46) along the AR5 West High track off the coast of California.
NKAWTG… pic.twitter.com/sWXhKfmdMl
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) June 21, 2025
NITRO61 flt (KC-135) refueling MYTEE21 flt (B-2) on the AR309
NITRO71 is the next cell of tankersAudio via @liveatc and tracking via @ADSBexpic.twitter.com/6SoEt36zum
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) June 21, 2025
How many B-2s are in each Mytee flight is not clear, but there are reports that each one contains at least three B-2s. Flight tracking data shows four tankers were tasked to support each group after the initial launch from Whiteman. Earlier this year, two sets of three B-2s had deployed to the highly strategic Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, from where they flew strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, in what was also a major show of force aimed at Iran.
KC135s NITRO61-64 are joined with B2s MYTEE21 FLT.KC135s NITRO71-74 are joined with B2s MYTEE11 FLT.Two groups of B2s. pic.twitter.com/LAF1JV9Uch
— Aircraft Spots (@AircraftSpots) June 21, 2025
Two groups of four tankers out of Altus are now lined up with air refueling route AR-309 (west) for Whiteman AFB air traffic.Note the spacing between each group of four. pic.twitter.com/qhY5zXSBGs
— Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) June 21, 2025
1147z MYTEE 21 x3 USAF B-2/A Spirit's(Making the Total now atleast x6 #B2's)Departed from Whiteman AFB #KSZL Likely heading to Guam / Anderson AFB #PGUA.Working with San Francisco (SFO) #HF on 5574 khz.#MYTEE21 #MYTEE22 #MYTEE23. pic.twitter.com/6uAjYfE11W
— Andy (@Andyyyyrrrr) June 21, 2025
Signs have been growing for days that a major deployment of B-2s could be imminent. A large force of aerial refueling tankers had been tracked deploying to various locations across the Pacific. C-17 cargo aircraft had also made flights to Whiteman, where they could have been dropping off or picking up personnel and/or materiel in support of an upcoming mission.
Another C-17 with a 4-digit code (interestingly is also the tail code :-)) is outbound from Whiteman. It is also a McChord based C-17 and was on the ground for just over 3 hours before launching again. #08-8192 pic.twitter.com/x90gaNVcRo
— MeNMyRC (@MeNMyRC1) June 20, 2025
Starting on June 13, Whiteman had also been closed for operations for scheduled maintenance to the airfield, and had been set to reopen on June 23. However, the reopening occurred ahead of schedule on June 19, after which the C-17 flights began.
C-17s descending into Whiteman this evening
pic.twitter.com/s3i5mWpSpk
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) June 19, 2025
As noted, the ultimate destination for the Mytee 11 and Mytee 21 flights is not clear at present. A Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) released yesterday suggested that the B-2s were at least set to refuel off the coast of Hawaii today as part of their onward movement, which has now been backed up by flight tracking data and air traffic control audio.
A NOTAM for aerial refueling just north of Hawaii has been published for June 21st starting at 0300 Zulu (11:00 AM EST). The attitude reservation entitled 'GLOCK' is for altitudes FL210 – FL280. Looks like the B-2s are getting ready.
PS. The B-2 looking shape in red is… https://t.co/Nq2C2kKB89pic.twitter.com/9iSmgGQ93d
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) June 20, 2025
1431z "#MYTEE21 ATC Requests Advice when MARSA With #FRESH35 Flight." pic.twitter.com/9KDv5nHyCF
— Andy (@Andyyyyrrrr) June 21, 2025
There are reports that the stealth bombers are currently heading to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. If that is true, some or all of the bombers could still continue on to Diego Garcia or other forward locations. Diego Garcia is one of a very limited number of locations outside of the United States with existing infrastructure to support sustained B-2 operations.
AR #2 out of Travis AFB, CA.KC-46s HIFI81-82 supporting B-2s MYTEE21 FLT.KC-46s HIFI83-84 supporting B-2s MYTEE11 FLT. pic.twitter.com/u9s1ksh6UJ
— Aircraft Spots (@AircraftSpots) June 21, 2025
It should be stressed here that there are no clear indications one way or the other at this time that the B-2s are actively headed to conduct strikes on Iran, although they have the capability to do so without forward basing. This was demonstrated last October when a group of them flew straight from Whiteman to strike targets in Yemen. At that time, TWZ also highlighted the clear signal that the marathon mission had sent to Iran.
The fact that the B-2s refueled immediately after takeoff could point to them at least having MOPs onboard, as the weight of the weapons requires some fuel to be sacrificed for departure.
Positioning the B-2s even in Guam would still reduce the time for sorties to and from Iran, which would, in turn, help the turnaround time for follow-on missions. Each of the stealth bombers can only carry two GBU-57/Bs at a time, and multiple MOPs would be required to neutralize Fordo as part of a sustained campaign.
It's also important to note that B-2s would conduct any strikes on Iran as part of a larger force package that would include supporting assets to help shield the bombers from anti-air threats, as well as conduct post-strike damage assessments. Combat search and rescue forces would also be part of the equation. The B-2s are already extremely survivable and Iran's air defense capabilities have been severely degraded by Israeli strikes, but that does not mean there are zero risks.
At least as of June 19, four B-52 bombers, as well as six F-15E Strike Eagles, continue to be forward-deployed at Diego Garcia after having arrived there at various points back in May. TWZ was first to report on the deployment of the F-15Es, which are there explicitly for force protection purposes. Satellite imagery has also consistently shown tankers, cargo planes, and other supporting aircraft at the strategic island outpost in recent months.
The U.S. military also recently repositioned air assets from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, some of which at least appear to have been relocated to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. American naval vessels in Bahrain were also observed putting to sea. These movements would help reduce the vulnerability of the forces in question to potential Iranian attacks.
Higher resolution Chinese satellite imagery from the 19th posted by Mizarvision. pic.twitter.com/gTa4L0V63u
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 21, 2025
Satellite images of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, one of the U.S. Air Force's most important bases in the Middle East, appear to show the base now completely abandoned. The base, which regularly maintains dozens of military aircraft, including aerial-refueling tankers, surveillance… pic.twitter.com/k102I9raP7
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 18, 2025
Almost all vessels have sortied out from Salman Port in Bahrain, a multinational naval base on the Persian Gulf. At least 1x US Navy LCS, 2x minesweepers, both of the Royal Bahraini Navy's Perry-class Frigates, and a roughly a dozen smaller vessels have put to sea. pic.twitter.com/OphlnYLL6F
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 17, 2025
This all comes amid what the U.S. military has openly acknowledged as a major force build-up across the Middle East, as well as Europe, in light of the current Israel-Iran conflict. Officials have insisted that the recent deployments, which include airpower and naval assets, are defensively focused. However, these forces are also now inherently better positioned to support offensive operations against Iran if the decision is made to do so.
Lajes Air Base, a key mid-Atlantic stopping-over point for US aircraft headed to and from Europe and beyond, is absolutely packed. New images show 12x USAF tankers sitting on the ramp as the massive ongoing US airlift to the Middle East continues. pic.twitter.com/qpMyADdix9
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 21, 2025
A flock of USAF F-22 Raptor stealth fighters follow their KC-46 tanker towards the Middle East, as seen from the UK.Via @TheAviationist and @TallGlenn85 pic.twitter.com/8UTdv1TL54
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 20, 2025
The U.S. Navy now has five guided-missile destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, according to U.S. defense officials. This is a significant increase. Earlier this week, the U.S. had just one in the eastern Med. Following Israel's attack on Iran, the U.S. had two positioned in… pic.twitter.com/BeZ8AkDysW
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) June 20, 2025
'We're going to see what that period of time is, but I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,' Trump told reporters yesterday when asked about the possibility of U.S. strikes on Iran.
'I think it's very hard to make that request right now,' Trump also said in response to questions about the possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to provide space for a negotiated settlement to the conflict. 'If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens.'
'We're the only ones that have the capability to do it — but that doesn't mean I'm going to do it,' Trump had also said on Wednesday when asked about a possible U.S. strike on Fordo. 'I have ideas as to what to do. I like to make the final decision one second before it's due because things change, especially with war.
Senior Iranian and European officials did meet in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday about a possible diplomatic resolution to the fighting, but the only clear outcome was a readiness for further talks. A new ultimatum from the Trump administration demanding Iran abandon domestic enrichment activities and dismantle other elements of its nuclear program, as well as accept new restrictions on its missile capabilities, was reportedly conveyed to Iran at that time. Even just a forward deployment of B-2s would be in line with a maximum pressure campaign to push the regime in Tehran to accept these terms.
According to N12 news, The U.S. has delivered a final offer to Iran:• END uranium enrichment• SLASH long-range missile programs• DISMANTLE key nuclear infrastructureIsrael believes rejection = U.S. enters the war.Turkey, Oman, Italy & Norway offered to host talks. Iran…
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 20, 2025
The Iranian government has already pushed back on the possibility of any negotiations while Israeli strikes continue. Israeli officials, for their part, have also expressed disinterest in diplomatic engagement with Iran.
As the force of B-2 bombers continues to head west across the Pacific, their ultimate destination at least may become clearer.Reuters, NBC News, and The Wall Street Journal are now reporting that the B-2s are headed for Andersen Air Force Base on Guam, all citing unnamed U.S. officials. The possibility remains that some or all of the stealth bombers could continue onward to a location like Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
'The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details,' according to Reuters' report. 'One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved.'
'However no order has been given to strike Iran, officials say,' The Wall Street Journal's Lara Seligman also wrote in a post on X.
However no order has been given to strike Iran, officials say
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) June 21, 2025Contact the author: [e-mail]