A daring US airstrike earlier this year raised tensions in the Middle East, and President Trump’s just ordered a lot more of the bombers that did the job, making it easy to get nervous about WW3.
Trump dropped the bombshell during his speech on Monday (October 13) at Israel's Knesset while celebrating the US military's achievements in Operation Midnight Hammer back in June.
That mission saw America’s stealth fleet take center stage in a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. It’s one that’s being described by senior Air Force officials as the most consequential of their careers.
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At Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home of the 509th Bomb Wing, crews are still buzzing from the operation that pushed both human endurance and military technology to their limits.
Seven B-2 stealth bombers flew for over a day and a half, dropping 14 of the Pentagon’s heaviest bunker-busting bombs on underground targets deep within Iran.
Colonel Josh Wiitala, who spoke to CBS Evening News about his time on the successful mission, said: “I think in terms of my lifetime as an airman, this will be one of the most consequential raids that we’ve executed.”
The airmen weren’t alone. Stealth F-22 and F-35 fighters escorted the bombers into Iranian airspace, some of the most defended skies in the world, in what officials called a flawless performance.
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Trump told reporters: “Our planes flew for 37 hours, and these tankers refueled the planes 4–5 times,” praising the crews who ‘obliterated’ the facilities.
Only after recounting the raid did Trump casually make his announcement. He revealed to Isreali lawmakers: “In fact, [the US] just ordered 28 more of them. A little updated version. We ordered a whole pile of them.”
It’s the largest claimed order of B-2 stealth bombers since the aircraft first entered service in 1997, and it’s enough to raise concerns of a wider conflict: what some could easily dub as the opening stages of World War III.
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While the president described the new bombers as ‘similar but actually quite different’, the Pentagon has yet to confirm any formal procurement contract with Northrop Grumman, the original manufacturer.
Analysts believe the announcement may refer to a modernization program or an interim upgrade bridging the gap before the next-generation B-21 Raider becomes fully operational.
Still, the symbolism won’t easily be lost on anyone. The B-2 Spirit has long been a ghost in the sky, a flying wing capable of slipping through radar undetected, delivering up to 40,000 pounds of ordnance, and flying nearly 6,000 nautical miles without refueling. It represents both the cutting edge of aerospace design and the raw show of force the US can project anywhere on Earth.
As one Chief Master Sergeant, Frank Espinoza, put it to CBS after the Iran strike: “Anytime we get the call, we’re going to deliver, and we’re not going to miss a step.”
Topics: Donald Trump, US News
Ben Williams