Operation Midnight Hammer: Our Timeline at Iran’s Nuclear Facilities

Sunday pentagon shared details Operation Midnight Hammercalling the massive, complex mission that struck three important Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday “the largest B-2 operational strike in US history.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses “This range was intentionally limited,” Pentagon reporters said.

General Dan Kane, chairman of the Co-State Chief of Staff, detailed the tactics adopted and deception tactics that raided nuclear facilities in Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

“Ruse” – Decoy Flight departs at 12:01am EST on Saturday

Operation began when the B-2 stealth bomber was launched from Whiteman Air Force Base In Missouri, it was 12:01am on a Saturday morning.

Some of the bombers flew west as decoys. Kane called it “a deception effort known only to a very few planners and key leaders.”

Hegus, military brass describes the “incredibly overwhelming success” of our strike in Iran

Main Strike – 18-hour flight

The major strike of the seven-person B-2 Spirit bomber, each with two crew members, flew quietly east with minimal communication, Kane said, as they took on an 18-hour flight to the target area.

The aircraft in the group were refueled multiple times during flight. During the Overlands, the strike group linked escorts and support aircraft from the Central Command.

Caine described link-up as “requires complex, closely-timed operations that require accurate synchronization across multiple platforms in narrow airspace, and everything happens with minimal communication.”

Clear the road – Saturday at 5pm

At 5pm ET (12:30am in Iran), the US submarine launched more than 20 Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles against major surface infrastructure targets when major strike forces were entered Iranian Air Area.

More deception tactics were used, and support aircraft were pushed out at high altitudes and speeds in front of main strike groups, clearing out threats from enemy fighters and surface-to-air missiles.

As the B-2 Main Strike Group approached Fordow and Natanz, the support aircraft used high-speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passageways.

“We are currently not aware of any shots fired on the US strike package along the way,” Kane told reporters.

Strike – Saturday 6:40pm EST

The Fordow nuclear facility was attacked at about 6:40pm EST, or at about 2:10am in Iran.

The lead B-2 dropped two GBU 57 giant weapon intruder (MOP) weapons, commonly known as bunkerbusters, at the beginning of several AIM points in the Fordow.

The remaining bombers also achieved their targets, with a total of 14 mops dropped by Fordow and Natantz, Kane said.

The Tomahawk missile launched by a US submarine was the last strike to hit a target in Isfahan.

Return trip – Saturday to Sunday

After releasing weapons on a massive strike, the aircraft left Iranian airspace and returned to Whiteman Air Force Base. Kane said the US troops were not immediately aware of the shots being fired at strike groups on their way out of Iranian airspace.

“Iranian fighters are not flying. It appears that Iranian surface-to-air missile systems didn’t see us throughout the mission,” Kane said. “We held on the element of surprise.”

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Operation Midnight Hammer used more than 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, multiple four- and fifth-generation fighter jets, dozens of aviation refueling tankers, guided missile submarines, and “complete arrangements” of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

The US military has launched around 75 precision guided ammunition, including a large intruder with 14 GBU 57s, weighing 30,000 pounds each. The surgery marked the weapon’s first operational use, Kane said.

History-making operations

Kane called the operation “the biggest B-2 operational strike in US history,” and “the rest of the world could not do this.”

“This mission shows unparalleled reach, coordination and capabilities in a few weeks,” Kane said. “This has gone from strategic planning to global implementation.”

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Kane also said it was the second-longest B-2 mission ever flew, surpassing only the missions in the days following 9/11.