The US has struck Iran’s three nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, amid an ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
US President Donald Trump has confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers were involved in the attack.
A US official later confirmed bunker-buster bombs were dropped on the Fordow and Natanz sites, The New York Times has reported.
Shortly after the strike, Mr Trump has threatened further attacks against Iran if the nation does not surrender, adding, “Remember, there are many targets left”.
So, what is a B-2 stealth bomber, and the bunker-buster weapon it used to attack the Iranian facilities?
B-2 stealth bombers are reportedly involved in the US’s strikes on Iran’s three nuclear sites. (Reuters: US Air National Guard)
What is a B-2 stealth bomber?
The US B-2 bombers, touted as the most expensive military aircraft ever built, cost about $US2.1 billion ($3.24 billion) each.
Made by Northrop Grumman Corporation, B-2 bombers are the only aircraft capable of carrying a bomb large enough to impact Iran’s primary and most protected Fordow nuclear facility, which has been built deep into a mountain.
The B-2’s range is about 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometres), according to the US Air Force. With aerial refuelling, the bomber, with low observability, can reach virtually any target worldwide.
The aircraft can carry a diverse array of conventional and nuclear weapons.
Two US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers fly with a pair of RAAF F-35A Lightning II fighters.
(Supplied: U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dylan Nuckolls)
The bombers can host a crew of two — a pilot in the left seat and a mission commander in the right — the Air Force said on its website.
Only 21 B-2s were made after the Pentagon’s planned acquisition program was truncated, according to Reuters.
They are considered one of America’s most advanced strategic weapons platforms, capable of entering sophisticated air defences and delivering precision strikes against targets like Fordow.
The B-2’s stealth technology incorporates radar-absorbing materials and angular design features that minimise detection by enemy air defence systems, according to Reuters.
The bomber’s radar cross-section is reportedly comparable to that of a small bird, making it nearly invisible to conventional radar.
The B-2’s composite materials, special coatings, and wing design all contribute to its “stealthiness”, the US Air Force added.
B-2 bombers operate out of a US Air Force base in Missouri.
What is a bunker-buster bomb?
The B-2 internal weapons bay is reportedly specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads, which could include two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP).
US personnel inspect a GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at a US Air Force base in 2023. (AP: US Air Force/File)
The MOP is a 30,000-pound precision-guided bomb, sometimes referred to as a “bunker-buster bomb”.
As ABC News has reported, the MOP is the only conventional weapon thought capable of breaching and destroying the Fordow nuclear site.
It weighs more than 13 tonnes, stands six metres high, and is specifically designed to “defeat hard and deeply buried targets” like bunkers and tunnels, according to a fact sheet from a US Department of Defense agency.
“While each B-2 can carry two GBU-57/Bs, such an attack would require redundancy since the weapons would have to function and be delivered perfectly to get down into the facility, and explode at the right depth to cause critical damage,” Justin Bronk, an air power specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, told ABC NEWS Verify.
It’s believed that the MOP can reach depths of up to 60 metres before exploding.
ABC/Reuters
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