After deploying B-2 stealth bombers, is America preparing to attack Iran?

The military press was abuzz this week with news that four of the nineteen long-range nuclear-powered B-2 Spirit stealth bombers currently in service in the United States were being moved to Diego Garcia, the largest island in the British-owned Chagos Archipelago (until now) south of India, where the United States and Britain operate a joint naval base.

The American magazine, The National Interest, considered the deployment of these advanced bombers near Iran and its proxies in the region a warning to the Houthis and Iran. In a report translated by Yemen Youth Net, the magazine stated, "If the presence of not one, but two, aircraft carriers in the Red Sea doesn't deter the Houthis from escalation, the Spirit stealth bombers will."

However, the magazine went on to say that the reinforcements of B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia go beyond simply repelling the Houthi threat. Washington is likely preparing for a deep and powerful strike against Iranian targets.

The report added: "One can't help but wonder why the United States would need so many B-2s in one location. However, unnamed sources insist that the military buildup there is larger than one would assume would be needed to eliminate the Houthi threat in Yemen. Is there another target nearby?"

Interesting events in Diego Garcia

According to the magazine, these moves by the Trump administration come in the wake of numerous statements, some intentional and others leaked, by senior Trump administration officials, including the president himself.

The B-2 was designed by Northrop Grumman for the US Air Force. It first flew in 1989 and was officially commissioned in 1997. A product of the Cold War era, the B-2 was designed to penetrate (undetected, of course) the dense air defenses surrounding key strategic targets in Iran.

Over the past few months, there have been numerous rumors that the Iranians are rushing to purchase air defense systems, many of which they have acquired from Russia.

The B-2 is coated with radar-absorbent materials, and its four General Electric F118-GE-100 engines are buried within its distinctive flying wing design to reduce heat signature.

The F118-GE-100 engines produce 17,300 pounds of thrust each, giving these stealthy beasts a range of nearly 6,000 nautical miles (6,904 miles). Their cruising speed is below the speed of sound, around 560 mph, and they fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

The maximum takeoff weight of the B-2 Spirit is approximately 336,500 pounds. A single B-2 Spirit can carry up to 40,000 pounds of munitions, including precision-guided munitions such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions ( JDAMs ), the 30,000-pound GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), or up to 16 rotor-delivered nuclear bombs.

The crew of a pilot and commander operates from a sophisticated cockpit, equipped with advanced electronic systems for navigation, targeting, and electronic countermeasures.

These aircraft are based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and have a long combat history spanning from Kosovo to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Many of these missions have been considered long-duration missions, some lasting more than 30 hours.

Therefore, using a batch of B-2s to destroy hardened Iranian targets represents a realistic possibility for repositioning these aircraft—and all their support aircraft—to Diego Garcia.

Don't underestimate America's stealth capabilities.

Interestingly, the Air Force initially wanted to acquire far more B-2s than it received. Initially, the Air Force requested 132 of these aircraft to replace its 72 long-range B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Unfortunately, this plan was canceled due to the prohibitive cost of the more complex B-2 Spirit bombers.

Only 21 B-2s were built. Sadly, one B-2 Spirit was destroyed in a 2008 crash, while another was damaged in a 2022 crash and was retired due to excessive repair costs.

The Air Force now plans to replace the B-21 Raider with the B-2 Spirit. As with the B-2 Spirit, the high cost of the new B-21 likely means that its production numbers will be lower than those of the B-2, even if the aircraft ever leaves the design drawing board.

But the B-2 bomber is still capable of doing serious damage—and sending more than a fifth of the U.S. fleet of B-2 Spirits to Diego Garcia at once, where they will officially remain until at least May 1, suggests that a massive operation has been planned in the region much longer than most people realize.