‘With smartphones and flight tracking…’: Former B-2 pilot on challenges of Operation Midnight Hammer

B-2 bomber missions are challenging because of flight tracking, a former pilot said.

Retired Gen Robert Spalding who helped develop the mission plans involving B-2 bombers commented on the US’s Operation Midnight Hammer that dropped bunker bombers on Iran’s three nuclear sites, and said everything worked perfectly. Speaking to ABC News, Spalding said the mission took decades of preparation, including extensive work on the weapons system and planning. Maintaining secrecy is a major challenge for this operation, Spalding said, especially in today’s connected world with smartphones and flight tracking. “With smartphones and flight tracking nowadays, we have to account for all kinds of data that could tip off the enemy,” Spalding said.No radar can detect B-2 bombers and its unique design contributes to the stealth feature as it does not have any tail and any conventional fuselage. “The B-2 has two bomb bays that can carry very large weapons, and these bunker-buster bombs were specifically made to fit them,” Spalding said.

Mid-air refuelings, strict schedule for pilots

The B-2 bombers were in the air for over 30 hours, requiring six to seven midair refuelings, each taking about 30 minutes. Spalding explained that there is a strict schedule of sleep and diet before and during the flight to keep pilots alert during critical moments. With a 172-foot (52.4 m) wingspan and stealth profile, B-2 bombers can fly 6,000 nautical miles without refueling, but most missions like the Midnight Hammer require multiple mid-air refuelings.During Operation Allied Force in 1999, B-2s flew 31-hour round trips from Missouri to Kosovo, striking 33 per cent of targets in the first eight weeks, according to the Air Force, Reuters reported. In Iraq, the aircraft dropped more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions across 49 sorties. The Air Force plans to replace the B-2 and B-1 fleets with at least 100 B-21 Raiders over the coming decades. The B-2 costs about $65,000 per hour to operate, compared to $60,000 for the B-1, Pentagon data revealed.