B-2 Stealth Bombers Massing On Diego Garcia, Iran Strike Imminent?: The world now knows that the US has moved about a quarter of its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet to Diego Garcia, the island hosting the US Naval base in the Indo-Pacific region.
And so the only question remains: whether the US is planning further airstrikes in Yemen or Iran or just a show of force that the government is using to message Iran that the nation is treading on thin ice.
The location of Diego Garcia is important because it is only about 2,360 miles from Iran but far enough away that Iran’s longest-range missile can’t reach it. The B-2 Spirit could fly to Iran from its home base in Missouri, as the bomber has a 7,000-mile range before refueling.
It is believed there are five B-2s on Diego Garcia, a fly-speck of an island in the Indian Ocean, but home to a joint US/UK air base. The Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) confirmed that B-2 bombers are at the base, but a spokesperson could not comment on why they are there. An official previously said that the command “routinely conducts global operations … to deter, detect and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks against the United States and its allies.”
B-2 Bombers: Diego Garcia Has Been An Important Staging Area for the US
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Islands archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The US’s involvement there goes back to the Johnson administration.
In 1965, Britain wanted to maintain a few strategic chips on the map to remain a power on the world stage.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, they carved out a base on Cyprus. In the Indian Ocean, they pressured Mauritius, a former British colony in Africa, to sell the Chagos Islands for just £3m.
In 1966, the US struck a deal to lease the base for 50 years. The UK, at US insistence, forcibly removed all 1,500 native Chagossians from the island. The base was finished in 1973 and has become a major naval and air center used by the US military for long-range bombing missions in its wars in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
The base was also used for rendition flights in 2002, a claim denied by the US but confirmed by the UK in 2008. Those were to transport high-value terrorists to secret CIA detention centers for what was termed “enhanced interrogations.”
In October of last year, the UK agreed to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but the US would retain the rights to the air base for 99 years.
B-2s Have Weapons To Penetrate Deep To Take Out Bunkers
One of the weapons that the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber carries is the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordinance Penetrator, a 27,000-pound bunker-buster weapon.
That weapon’s unique capabilities could significantly enhance the effectiveness of an American strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, and each B-2 bomber can carry two of the bunker-buster bombs.
However, President Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t want to go to war with Iran and that a peaceful solution could be worked out.
“My big preference—and I don’t say this through strength or weakness—my big preference is, we work it out with Iran. But if we don’t work it out, bad, bad things are going to happen to Iran.”
However, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran had responded through intermediary Oman to a letter from Trump calling for nuclear talks.
Araghchi said indirect talks with the US would continue, but Iran was “firm on not engaging in direct negotiations under maximum pressure and military threats.”
Iran’s Air Defenses Are Weak
In late October of last year, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted air strikes inside Iran. In those strikes, they destroyed all of Iran’s air defenses, the S-300s they purchased from Russia.
They also destroyed a nuclear research facility thought to be closed.
If the US decides to strike Iran, the B-2 Spirits should be easily able to penetrate Iranian airspace and deliver those deep bunker-busting bombs to take out their nuclear sites.
But is that the purpose of this show of force?
It is doubtful. They could have launched this air strike from the US, and no one would have known about it until it was over. However, the Iranians will not sleep soundly until the B-2s return en route to the US.
B-2 Bombers: A Story in Photos
A left side view of the front of a B-2 advanced technology bomber aircraft as it prepares for its first flight, at the Air Force Flight Test Center.
U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit aircraft undergo pre-flight inspections prior to take off at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Aug. 11, 2016. More than 200 Airmen and three B-2s deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., to conduct local sorties and regional training and integrate with regional allies in support of Bomber Assurance and Deterrence missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Miguel Lara III)
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from Whiteman Air Force Base completes a fly-over during the Sound of Speed Airshow at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, in St. Joseph, Missouri, May 1, 2021. The air show was hosted by the city of St. Joseph and 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard to thank the community for their support. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman Janae Masoner)
Crew chiefs assigned to the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prep a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber for a hot-pit refuel, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, April 4, 2022. Exercise Agile Tiger promotes resilience, innovation, competitiveness and process improvement, all talents required to address today’s complex challenges. (U.S Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Christina Carter)
A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit “Stealth” bomber, 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., flies over the Pacific Ocean after a recent aerial refueling mission, May 2, 2005. The Bombers are deployed to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, as part of a rotation that has provided the U.S. Pacific Command a continous bomber presence in the Asian Pacific region since February 2004, enhancing regional security and the U.S. commitment to the Western Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo) (Released)
About the Author: Steve Balesteri
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
