Israeli media have reported that two B-2 bombers of the US have reached the island of Guam to attack and destroy Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear facility.
The report stated that flight tracking data has revealed that the United States has deployed B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, a strategic location in the western Pacific, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
The bombers have received media attention in recent days due to their unique ability to carry the heaviest US bomb, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which experts say is needed to destroy Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear facility.
The B-2 Spirit, one of America’s most advanced strategic weapons platforms, is renowned for its stealth capabilities and precision strike potential. The aircraft is designed to penetrate sophisticated air defences and deliver massive ordnance such as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), which is capable of targeting heavily fortified underground facilities, including Iran’s nuclear sites.
The bombers were joined by four KC-46 Pegasus tankers. This deployment follows a series of tanker movements and previous repositioning of F-22 Raptors to Europe, as the U.S. weighs its options amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Guam serves as a key base for U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific region. However, analysts speculate that the B-2s could be further redeployed to Diego Garcia, a location offering shorter flight paths to the Middle East and greater operational security.
Each B-2 Spirit, valued at approximately $2.1 billion, represents a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force’s strategic capabilities. With a range of over 6,000 nautical miles without refuelling, the aircraft offers global strike reach. Its internal weapons bays can carry a payload of over 40,000 pounds, including conventional Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), as well as strategic nuclear weapons.
