Inside the B-2 bomber pilots' mammoth Midnight Hammer raid on Iran
In the hours after the strike, US military and intelligence officials were still assessing the damage both to the site at Fordow and to the Iranian leadership's psyche.
'Our hope is that the lesson that the Iranians have learned here is look, we can fly a bunker-buster bomb from Missouri to Iran completely undetected without landing once … and we can destroy whatever nuclear capacity you build up,' Vice President JD Vance told Fox News in an interview on Monday.
Loading
'I think that lesson is what's going to teach them not to rebuild their nuclear capacity.'
The first 30-plus-hour B-2 missions took place during the 1999 war in Kosovo. At the time, the idea of flying a combat sortie and returning home in time to pick up the kids from soccer practice was still novel and a bit surreal for those flying.
'It is kind of weird to get dressed in your own bathroom and then go into combat,' one B-2 pilot told The Wall Street Journal in the early days of the Kosovo War.
Since then, B-2 pilots have flown combat missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. The B-2 bombers, which were built to carry nuclear weapons, regularly fly deterrence missions in Europe and Asia from their Missouri base.
The past 25 years have taught the Air Force and its pilots a lot about flying long missions. Today, staff doctors and physiologists at Whiteman Air Force Base specialise in helping B-2 pilots prepare their bodies to spend long stretches in the cockpit.
If they have sufficient notice, the pilots will try to adjust their sleep schedules so that their body clocks will be in sync with their mission.
Each B-2 is flown by a two-person crew. The small cockpit has room for a toilet and space behind the plane's seats where a pilot can stretch out on a cot or a camping pad and take a brief nap. Both pilots are required to be in their seats during take-off, landing, aerial refuelling and for the duration of their time over enemy territory.
The planes are also equipped with small heaters to warm food, but many B-2 pilots prefer simple meals such as sandwiches on long missions. 'You learn to drink a lot of water,' said Basham, who flew combat missions into Kosovo.
The missions most likely played out in a similar fashion to the sorties that B-2 pilots flew in earlier wars. In those earlier missions, pilots saw anti-aircraft guns and missiles in the sky beneath them. This time, Pentagon officials said the Iranians did not get off a shot at the B-2s or their F-35 fighter jet escorts.
In earlier conflicts, the B-2 pilots were dropping, at most, 2000-pound precision-guided bombs. This time, the B-2s each dropped two 30,000-pound munitions over their target.
Basham could not help but wonder what it felt like to shed that kind of weight.
'It'll be interesting to hear from the pilots,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Leaked call unveils intelligence operation
Former Mossad official Rami Igra reacts to a leaked call where a Mossad agent tells an Iranian general that he has 12 hours to escape with his family. 'My telephone number is known in Tehran, and I've been receiving these kinds of messages for the last two years, more or less,' Mr Igra told Sky News host Sharri Markson. 'Funny enough, half of these messages are threatening, and half of these messages are people that wish to be recruited and help Israel. 'So you find a very diverse Iranian society, and this diverse society is a very good hunting ground for intelligence agencies.'
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Australia's Iran fallout warning despite uneasy truce
Conflict between Iran and Israel will have consequences for Australia, even if a ceasefire holds, an expert warns. While the federal government has repeatedly called for diplomacy and peace, it differed from other US allies by supporting America's decision to join Israel's offensive and strike Iran. Concerns had been raised if the action was legal, making Australia's position on the strikes "worrying", regardless of whether a ceasefire held, analyst Jessie Moritz told AAP. "Given that the intelligence that Israel was operating under was not confirmed even by the US, that really raised the question of whether this was a legal war and whether this was breaking an international norm," the Australian National University Arab and Islamic studies lecturer said. "Breaking international norms is a huge problem because it allows our enemies to break that norm with us." The Labor government initially took a more neutral stance but backed the US bombings after the coalition came out in support first. Dr Moritz said the government's quick decision was concerning and drew comparisons to the events of 2003, where Australia joined the US war in Iraq under false claims it possessed weapons of mass destruction. Though she hoped a ceasefire would hold, Dr Moritz warned the conflict would have long-term ramifications. US international partners have begun to more closely examine whether American interests align with their own as President Donald Trump emerges as a foreign policy disruptor. The conflict could incentivise Arab states to pursue nuclear weapons and lead Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and rebuild its nuclear program. Dr Moritz said Iran could become more repressive and conservative because it might lose some support, using the events as an excuse to violently repress opposition groups. Anyone within the regime who supported diplomatic engagement with the West would be sidelined too. This could impact Australian-Iranian communities, many of whom hoped the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government. Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar said the regime's continuation could lead to his "worst fear". "That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people," he told AAP. Mr Trump attacked both nations for breaching the ceasefire in the early stages, saying "they don't know what the f*** they are doing" on live television. The prime minister was unperturbed by the language. "President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don't think it needs any further reflection," Mr Albanese said on Wednesday. "We want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump." In the early hours of the day, 119 Australians and family members left Tel Aviv on a government-assisted flight. There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who have registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran. Conflict between Iran and Israel will have consequences for Australia, even if a ceasefire holds, an expert warns. While the federal government has repeatedly called for diplomacy and peace, it differed from other US allies by supporting America's decision to join Israel's offensive and strike Iran. Concerns had been raised if the action was legal, making Australia's position on the strikes "worrying", regardless of whether a ceasefire held, analyst Jessie Moritz told AAP. "Given that the intelligence that Israel was operating under was not confirmed even by the US, that really raised the question of whether this was a legal war and whether this was breaking an international norm," the Australian National University Arab and Islamic studies lecturer said. "Breaking international norms is a huge problem because it allows our enemies to break that norm with us." The Labor government initially took a more neutral stance but backed the US bombings after the coalition came out in support first. Dr Moritz said the government's quick decision was concerning and drew comparisons to the events of 2003, where Australia joined the US war in Iraq under false claims it possessed weapons of mass destruction. Though she hoped a ceasefire would hold, Dr Moritz warned the conflict would have long-term ramifications. US international partners have begun to more closely examine whether American interests align with their own as President Donald Trump emerges as a foreign policy disruptor. The conflict could incentivise Arab states to pursue nuclear weapons and lead Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and rebuild its nuclear program. Dr Moritz said Iran could become more repressive and conservative because it might lose some support, using the events as an excuse to violently repress opposition groups. Anyone within the regime who supported diplomatic engagement with the West would be sidelined too. This could impact Australian-Iranian communities, many of whom hoped the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government. Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar said the regime's continuation could lead to his "worst fear". "That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people," he told AAP. Mr Trump attacked both nations for breaching the ceasefire in the early stages, saying "they don't know what the f*** they are doing" on live television. The prime minister was unperturbed by the language. "President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don't think it needs any further reflection," Mr Albanese said on Wednesday. "We want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump." In the early hours of the day, 119 Australians and family members left Tel Aviv on a government-assisted flight. There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who have registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran. Conflict between Iran and Israel will have consequences for Australia, even if a ceasefire holds, an expert warns. While the federal government has repeatedly called for diplomacy and peace, it differed from other US allies by supporting America's decision to join Israel's offensive and strike Iran. Concerns had been raised if the action was legal, making Australia's position on the strikes "worrying", regardless of whether a ceasefire held, analyst Jessie Moritz told AAP. "Given that the intelligence that Israel was operating under was not confirmed even by the US, that really raised the question of whether this was a legal war and whether this was breaking an international norm," the Australian National University Arab and Islamic studies lecturer said. "Breaking international norms is a huge problem because it allows our enemies to break that norm with us." The Labor government initially took a more neutral stance but backed the US bombings after the coalition came out in support first. Dr Moritz said the government's quick decision was concerning and drew comparisons to the events of 2003, where Australia joined the US war in Iraq under false claims it possessed weapons of mass destruction. Though she hoped a ceasefire would hold, Dr Moritz warned the conflict would have long-term ramifications. US international partners have begun to more closely examine whether American interests align with their own as President Donald Trump emerges as a foreign policy disruptor. The conflict could incentivise Arab states to pursue nuclear weapons and lead Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and rebuild its nuclear program. Dr Moritz said Iran could become more repressive and conservative because it might lose some support, using the events as an excuse to violently repress opposition groups. Anyone within the regime who supported diplomatic engagement with the West would be sidelined too. This could impact Australian-Iranian communities, many of whom hoped the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government. Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar said the regime's continuation could lead to his "worst fear". "That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people," he told AAP. Mr Trump attacked both nations for breaching the ceasefire in the early stages, saying "they don't know what the f*** they are doing" on live television. The prime minister was unperturbed by the language. "President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don't think it needs any further reflection," Mr Albanese said on Wednesday. "We want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump." In the early hours of the day, 119 Australians and family members left Tel Aviv on a government-assisted flight. There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who have registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran. Conflict between Iran and Israel will have consequences for Australia, even if a ceasefire holds, an expert warns. While the federal government has repeatedly called for diplomacy and peace, it differed from other US allies by supporting America's decision to join Israel's offensive and strike Iran. Concerns had been raised if the action was legal, making Australia's position on the strikes "worrying", regardless of whether a ceasefire held, analyst Jessie Moritz told AAP. "Given that the intelligence that Israel was operating under was not confirmed even by the US, that really raised the question of whether this was a legal war and whether this was breaking an international norm," the Australian National University Arab and Islamic studies lecturer said. "Breaking international norms is a huge problem because it allows our enemies to break that norm with us." The Labor government initially took a more neutral stance but backed the US bombings after the coalition came out in support first. Dr Moritz said the government's quick decision was concerning and drew comparisons to the events of 2003, where Australia joined the US war in Iraq under false claims it possessed weapons of mass destruction. Though she hoped a ceasefire would hold, Dr Moritz warned the conflict would have long-term ramifications. US international partners have begun to more closely examine whether American interests align with their own as President Donald Trump emerges as a foreign policy disruptor. The conflict could incentivise Arab states to pursue nuclear weapons and lead Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and rebuild its nuclear program. Dr Moritz said Iran could become more repressive and conservative because it might lose some support, using the events as an excuse to violently repress opposition groups. Anyone within the regime who supported diplomatic engagement with the West would be sidelined too. This could impact Australian-Iranian communities, many of whom hoped the conflict could help de-stabilise the Iranian autocracy and pave the way for a new, democratic government. Persian Australian Community Association member Nader Ranjbar said the regime's continuation could lead to his "worst fear". "That somehow they get away from this mess and the first thing they do is start killing Iranian people," he told AAP. Mr Trump attacked both nations for breaching the ceasefire in the early stages, saying "they don't know what the f*** they are doing" on live television. The prime minister was unperturbed by the language. "President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don't think it needs any further reflection," Mr Albanese said on Wednesday. "We want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump." In the early hours of the day, 119 Australians and family members left Tel Aviv on a government-assisted flight. There are still about 3000 Australians in Iran who have registered with the government for help to leave, and more than 1000 in Israel. The latest conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel fired missiles at Iran in a bid to blow up military assets, arguing it was on the cusp of developing nuclear weapons. The battle took a turn on the weekend when the US launched a bombing raid on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Iran's parliament moves to end co-operation with IAEA
Iran's parliament has approved a bill to suspend co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reports. The move on Wednesday, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted in June by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks. The Speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale". He said "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend its co-operation with the agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program". Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA. Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and US bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. In an interview with Qatar's Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: "I think that our view on our nuclear program and the non-proliferation regime will witness changes, but it is not possible to say in what direction." Iran's parliament has approved a bill to suspend co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reports. The move on Wednesday, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted in June by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks. The Speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale". He said "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend its co-operation with the agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program". Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA. Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and US bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. In an interview with Qatar's Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: "I think that our view on our nuclear program and the non-proliferation regime will witness changes, but it is not possible to say in what direction." Iran's parliament has approved a bill to suspend co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reports. The move on Wednesday, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted in June by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks. The Speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale". He said "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend its co-operation with the agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program". Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA. Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and US bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. In an interview with Qatar's Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: "I think that our view on our nuclear program and the non-proliferation regime will witness changes, but it is not possible to say in what direction." Iran's parliament has approved a bill to suspend co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reports. The move on Wednesday, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted in June by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks. The Speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale". He said "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend its co-operation with the agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program". Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA. Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and US bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. In an interview with Qatar's Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: "I think that our view on our nuclear program and the non-proliferation regime will witness changes, but it is not possible to say in what direction."
