Summary and Key Points: The US Air Force currently has five B-2 Spirit stealth bombers stationed on Diego Garcia, which is strategically positioned amid escalating tensions with Iran and its proxies in Yemen.
Though highly capable, the limited fleet of 20 B-2 bombers highlights a longstanding shortfall that could affect military readiness in conflicts with nations like China or Iran.
Originally envisioned at 133 aircraft, budget cuts severely reduced the fleet. The presence of B-2s signals a potent threat, capable of devastating strikes with bunker-busting bombs.
President Trump emphasizes negotiations but warns Iran of severe consequences if Houthi attacks continue, raising speculation about possible strikes on Iranian targets.
Right Now, The Air Force Wishes It Had More B-2 Bombers
A quarter of the US B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fleet is at Diego Garcia, and the presence of these B-2s is a very public show of force. One must question whether the US is planning on further airstrikes in Yemen, airstrikes in Iran, or just a show of force that the government is using to show Iran that its nuclear facilities could be in danger.
Diego Garcia is 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 they have a 7,000-mile range before it would need to refuel.
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 there were B-2 bombers at the base, but a spokesperson could not comment on why they were 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.”
While five B-2 bombers carry an enormous payload of weapons, the Air Force probably wishes it had more at this time.
B-2s Are Tremendous Aircraft, But There Aren’t Enough of Them
The B-2 is still one of, if not the, stealthiest bombers in the world (not counting the B-21 Raider, its replacement). However, the Air Force only has 20, which isn’t nearly enough, especially if the US is going to war with China.
The Air Force initially wanted 133 Spirits, then cut that number to 75, and finally cut it back to just 21. While budget considerations loomed large at the time, the B-2, like the F-22, was a needed cutting-edge program, and it was short-sighted to cut with so few platforms.
The B-2 Spirit is powered by four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines, each with over 17,000 pounds of thrust. Its ceiling is 50,000 feet, and it can carry conventional or nuclear weapons.
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.
The Air Force plans to replace the B-2s with the B-21 Raider and build 100 of them. But the Air Force is already questioning whether that number is too few. Hopefully, they won’t make the same mistake again.
President Trump Calls for Talks, But Iran Won’t Meet Directly
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 Oman, an intermediary, to a letter from Trump calling for nuclear talks. He said Iran rejects direct talks with the US.
Israel Knocked Out Iran’s Best Air Defenses
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 that was thought to be closed.
At this point, with such a public display of force at their doorstep, it is rather doubtful that the US is going to strike Iran. But stranger things have happened. After the buildup, however, it is entirely possible that the B-2 stealth would strike targets in Yemen to deter the Houthis from further attacking merchant and US Navy ships in the Red Sea.
President Trump warned Tehran that any further attacks by the Houthis would be treated as an attack on the US by Iran.
“Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social social media network on March 17.
“They’re [Iran] dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘Intelligence.’
Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!
Tehran has now called Trump’s bluff. The warning is there in Diego Garcia, out of the reach of Tehran’s missiles. But will the US respond?
We should learn that soon enough.
B-2 Spirit Photos
191209-N-HG846-2001 NORFOLK,Va. (Dec. 9, 2019) This poster is designed to communicate the aircraft specifications of the B2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. The B2 bomber was introduced on Jan. 1, 1997 by the Northrop Corporation.
A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing refuels a B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, Aug. 29, 2012. A B-2 Spirit is designed to be very difficult to detect so it can better engage enemies during war efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman 1st Class Maurice A. Hodges)
A crew chief assigned to the 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, prepares a B-2 Spirit for departure from Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, Sept. 11, 2021. The stealth bomber provides unique capabilities to combatant commanders with their ability to strike targets without being detected. Operating out of Iceland allows Airmen and the B-2 to assure allies by contributing to security in the European theater. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Victoria Hommel)
A B-2 Spirit assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., prepares to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker, Feb 7, 2021. A B-2 Spirit performed alongside a B-1B Lancer and a B-52 Stratofortress for the Super Bowl LV flyover on Feb. 7, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class David D. McLoney)
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
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
