B-2 pilots reveal US strikes on Iran were the 'most consequential raids' of their career - Jerusalem Post Staff

 

by Jerusalem Post Staff

According to CBS, stealth F-22 and F-35 tactical fighters escorted the B-2s into Iranian airspace. “We knew they were not alone, the performance was perfect."

 

A B-2 Spirit proceeds to an undisclosed location after flying a mission over Iraq, March 27, 2003.

(photo credit: REUTERS/Cherie A. Thurlby/US Air Force)

 

The pilots in charge of the US strike on the Iranian nuclear facility of Fordow called them “one of the most consequential raids that we've executed," during an interview for CBS News.

Col. Josh Wiitala, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, is based out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home to roughly 20 B-2 stealth bombers. "I'll tell you, the biggest moment of my career, not just as a commander, is when I knew our guys were safe," he said.

"There's a lot of long-range aircraft out there. There are numerous aircraft that have a high payload. There are also other stealth aircraft out there. But the only one that combines all three is the B-2," Wintala added about the importance of his aircraft.

Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost of Global Strike Command, who received the order from US President Donald Trump to carry out the strikes on Iran, said his “confidence was very high,” even though the strikes were made against the most advanced military adversary the B-2s have faced so far.

"Stealth matters, and stealth matters even more today than it did when at its inception," Armagost explained and added: "Stealth is many things. Its shape, its materials, its tactics. And so, we protect our stealth capabilities in a way, such that the advantages don't accumulate to anyone else."

A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025. (credit: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS )

What else was used in the Fordow raid?

According to CBS, stealth F-22 and F-35 tactical fighters escorted the B-2s into Iranian airspace. “We knew they were not alone, the performance was perfect," Armagost said.

The other main asset for this operation was a 30,000-pound bomb called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), specifically designed to hit deep underground targets. 

Chief Master Sgt. Frank Espinoza, in charge of the team that loaded 14 of them into the bombers for the mission to Iran, said: "They all made it happen. Yeah. Flawlessly. Any time we get the call, we're going to deliver and we're not going to miss a step."

Jerusalem Post Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-870824

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