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Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
How US used its bunker-buster bombs at Iranian nuclear sites
The deep penetrating bombs that the US dropped into two Iranian nuclear facilities were designed specifically for those sites and were the result of more than 15 years of intelligence and weapons design work, the Pentagon's top leaders said Thursday. US Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, performs a fly-over during the Speed of Sound Airshow, at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. September 14, 2024.(Reuters) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a press briefing that they are confident the weapons struck exactly as planned. Caine, the nation's top military officer, offered new details about the work that went into building the "bunker-buster" bombs and how the US used them to burrow into the Iranian sites. He sought to show the level of destruction but did not directly address President Donald Trump's assertion that Tehran's nuclear programme has been "obliterated." A classified briefing that pushed US work on bunker busters The bombs, called the GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, have their roots in a decades-old classified briefing "of what looked like a major construction project in the mountains of Iran," Caine said. That turned out to be the Fordo fuel enrichment plant, with construction believed to have started around 2006. It became operational in 2009, the same year Tehran publicly acknowledged its existence. The classified briefing was shown in 2009 to a Defense Threat Reduction Agency officer, who with a colleague "lived and breathed" Fordo for the next 15 years, studying the geology, construction dig, the earth moved and "every piece of equipment going in and every piece of equipment going out," Caine said. What they concluded: The US didn't have a bomb that could destroy those sites. So the Pentagon got to work, Caine said. "We had so many PhDs working on the mock programm — doing modelling and simulation — that we were quietly and in a secret way the biggest users of supercomputer hours within the United States of America," he said. How the bunker busters are designed The 30,000-pound bomb is comprised of steel, explosive and a fuse programmed to a specific detonation time. The longer the fuse, the deeper the weapon will penetrate before exploding. Over the years, the military tested and retested it hundreds of times on mock facilities, Caine said. Crews fine-tuned the bombs to detonate in the mock enrichment rooms, delaying detonation until they had reached a position to send a pressure blast through open tunnels to destroy equipment underground. How the US said it bombed an Iranian underground nuclear facility Fordo had two main ventilation routes into the underground facility — and officials carefully eyed these entry points as a way to target the site. Each route had three shafts — a main shaft and a smaller shaft on either side, which looked almost like a pitchfork in graphics provided by the Pentagon. In the days preceding the US attack, Iran placed large concrete slabs on top of both ventilation routes to try to protect them, Caine said. In response, the US crafted an attack plan where six bunker-buster bombs would be used against each ventilation route, using the main shaft as a way down into the enrichment facility. Seven B-2 stealth bombers were used, carrying two of the massive munitions apiece. The first bomb was used to eliminate the concrete slab, Caine said. The next four bombs were dropped down the main shaft and into the complex at a speed of more than 1,000 feet per second before exploding, he said. A sixth bomb was dropped as a backup, in case anything went wrong. In addition to the 12 bombs dropped on Fordo, with six on each ventilation route, two more hit Iran's main Natanz facility, Caine said. Each crew was able to confirm detonation as they saw the bombs drop from the aircraft in front of them: "We know that the trailing jets saw the first weapons function," Caine said. The pilots reported back that it was the brightest explosion they had ever seen — that it looked like daylight, he said. Questions remain about the whereabouts of Iran's highly enriched uranium Caine said the munitions were built, tested and loaded properly, guided to their intended targets and then exploded as designed. "Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed," Hegseth said. However, questions remained as to whether the highly enriched uranium that Iran would need to develop a nuclear weapon was at the site at the time. Asked repeatedly, Hegseth did not say if the uranium had been destroyed or moved. "I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be — moved or otherwise," Hegseth said.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Factbox-US B-2 bombers and bunker-busters used in Iran strike
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, performs a fly-over during the Speed of Sound Airshow, at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. September 14, 2024. U.S. Air National Guard/Master Sgt. Patrick Evenson/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were involved in strikes on Iran's nuclear sites on Saturday. Three Iranian nuclear sites were struck in a "very successful attack," President Donald Trump said on Saturday, adding that the crown jewel of Tehran's nuclear program, Fordow, is gone. The B-2 is one of America's most advanced strategic weapons platforms, capable of entering sophisticated air defenses and delivering precision strikes against hardened targets such as Iran's buried network of nuclear research facilities. B-2 SPIRIT SPECIFICATIONS: The U.S. B-2 costs about $2.1 billion each, making it the most expensive military aircraft ever built. Made by Northrop Grumman, the bomber, with its cutting-edge stealth technology, began its production run in the late 1980s but was curbed by the fall of the Soviet Union. Only 21 were made after the Pentagon's planned acquisition program was truncated. The bomber's range of over 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km) without refueling enables global strike capabilities from continental U.S. bases. With aerial refueling, the B-2 can reach virtually any target worldwide, as demonstrated in missions from Missouri to Afghanistan and Libya and now Iran. Its payload capacity of more than 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg) allows the aircraft to carry a diverse array of conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber's internal weapons bays are specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads which could include two GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), a 30,000-pound precision-guided "bunker buster" bomb. Reports said six bunker buster bombs were used on Iran's Fordow research site. The B-2's two-pilot crew configuration reduces personnel requirements while maintaining operational effectiveness through advanced automation systems. The B-2's stealth technology incorporates radar-absorbing materials and angular design features that minimize detection by enemy air defense systems. Its radar cross-section is reportedly comparable to that of a small bird, making it nearly invisible to conventional radar. MASSIVE ORDNANCE PENETRATOR (MOP): The 30,000-pound MOP represents the largest conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal, specifically engineered to defeat hardened underground bunkers. Its massive size requires the B-2 to carry only one or two MOPs per mission, but provides unmatched bunker-penetration capability. The weapon's 20.5-foot (6.25-m) length and GPS-guided precision targeting system enable accurate strikes against specific underground facilities. Its penetration capability of over 200 feet through hardened concrete makes it effective against the world's most protected underground installations. CONVENTIONAL PAYLOADS: Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) provide the B-2 with precision conventional strike capability against fixed targets. These GPS-guided weapons can be deployed in large numbers, with the bomber capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets with high accuracy. Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW) extend the aircraft's engagement range while maintaining stealth characteristics during approach. These glide bombs allow the B-2 to strike targets from outside heavily defended airspace perimeters. Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) offer long-range precision strike capability with their own stealth features. The extended-range JASSM-ER variant provides strike options against targets over 500 miles (805 km) away. NUCLEAR PAYLOAD CAPABILITIES: The B-2 Spirit serves as a key component of America's nuclear triad, capable of delivering strategic nuclear weapons with stealth and precision. The aircraft can carry up to 16 B83 nuclear bombs. (Reporting by Mike Stone in WashingtonEditing by Marguerita Choy and Sonali Paul)
Barnama
5 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
US Dropped 6 Bunker Buster Bombs On Fordo, Launched 30 Cruise Missiles At Natanz, Isfahan: Report
U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, performs a fly-over during the Speed of Sound Airshow, at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. September 14, 2024. U.S. Air National Guard/Master Sgt. Patrick Evenson/Handout via REUTERS WASHINGTON, June 22 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The United States (US) dropped six bunker-buster bombs on the Fordo nuclear facility, and carried out dozens of submarine-based cruise missile attacks on two other sites, as it targeted Iran's nuclear program, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing Fox News. According to the report, Trump detailed the strikes to TV host Sean Hannity, saying that each of the bunker-buster bombs weighed 15 tons and were dropped from American B-2 stealth bombers. In all, 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US submarines at the nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan, it added. bootstrap slideshow Trump confirmed the strikes earlier Saturday, and said a "full payload of" bombs was dropped on the "primary" Iranian nuclear site at Fordo, and additional strikes were conducted on facilities at Natanz and Esfahan. All American warplanes departed Iranian airspace, he said. The Fordo nuclear facility is an underground uranium enrichment site near Qom -- Iran's deepest and most fortified nuclear installation designed to withstand conventional airstrikes. Iran had strongly warned Trump against involvement in the conflict with Israel, saying if the US directly entered the hostilities, it would lead to "irreparable consequences." Trump has repeatedly threatened to take military action against Tehran and maintained that the US would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, something Iran has repeatedly denied that it seeks to acquire. Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Barnama
5 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Trump Says US Conducted 'Very Successful' Strikes On Three Iranian Nuclear Sites
U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, performs a fly-over during the Speed of Sound Airshow, at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S. September 14, 2024. U.S. Air National Guard/Master Sgt. Patrick Evenson/Handout via REUTERS A satellite image shows the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran in this handout image dated June 14, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS WASHINGTON, June 22 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The United States (US) President Donald Trump said Saturday that American forces completed "very successful" airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites amid fears of a wider conflagration in the region, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. Trump said a "full payload of" bombs was dropped on the "primary" Iranian nuclear site at Fordo, and additional strikes were conducted at the facilities at Natanz and Esfahan. All American warplanes departed Iranian airspace, he said. "All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. bootstrap slideshow "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,' it reported Trump said on social media. The Fordo nuclear facility is an underground uranium enrichment site near Qom, Iran's deepest and most fortified nuclear installation designed to withstand conventional airstrikes. Iran had strongly warned Trump against involvement in the conflict with Israel, saying if the US directly entered the hostilities, it would lead to "irreparable consequences". Trump has repeatedly threatened to take military action against Tehran and maintained that the US would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, something Iran has repeatedly denied that it seeks to acquire. Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
