The Way We War

Modern warfare is a shape-shifting entity and the information explosion has expanded the battlespace far beyond the battlefield

- Lt Gen Dr Subrata Saha (Retd)

On the night of June 20/21, 2025, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran, the largest B-2 operational strike in its history, in order to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear programme. This was a set of precision attacks against three nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. The strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. In order to maintain surprise, part of the package proceeded westward into the Pacific as decoy. The main strike package comprising of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded to the east with minimal communications, covering the 18-hour flight into the target area, with multiple in-flight refuelling.

Once over land, the B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex synchronisation manoeuvre-with fourth and fifth generation aircraft sweeping the area in front of the strike package for Iranian fighters and surface-to-air missiles. Just prior to the strike package entering Iran, a US submarine launched over two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan. At 2.10 am Iran time, the lead B-2 bomber dropped the first two GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP) weapons at Fordow. A total of 14 MOPs were dropped against Fordow and Natanz. Tomahawk missiles were employed to strike at Esfahan. This was the first ever operational use of the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator.