Numerous exercises conducted by the Pentagon have confirmed that several “passes” of the B-2 are necessary: a first “launch”, quickly followed by others. Like a hammer “sticking” to a nail. Even more so if it has to penetrate the defenses around the Fordow centrifuges, located – according to some experts – 90-100 meters underground.
In the last days of March, six American B-2s landed on Diego Garcia, an atoll in the Indian Ocean shared with the British. The arrival is immediately “linked” to the possibility of action in Yemen, against the Houthis and, perhaps, in the future against Iran. Because “Spirit”, as it is known in the jargon, is the only aircraft that can carry the GBU 57, the 14-ton super bomb designed to destroy bunkers at great depths. That is, a target similar to Iran’s Fordow nuclear power plant, built inside a mountain. The device was developed in the first half of the 2000s with the aim of using it against hostile countries, from North Korea to the Islamic Republic.
And then it was modified to increase its destructive power with innovations that were never fully disclosed for security reasons. The GBU must penetrate the protective “shell” and then explode in order to amplify the effects inside the target.
It seems that recent updates have expanded the capabilities even if you don’t have precise data on the depth and position of what you want to wipe out. A New York Times article writes that numerous exercises conducted by the Pentagon have confirmed that several “passes” of the B-2 are necessary: a first “drop”, quickly followed by others. Like a hammer “sticking” to a nail. Even more so if it has to penetrate the defenses around the Fordow centrifuges, located – according to some experts – 90-100 meters underground. Israel has its own bunker busters and has demonstrated their devastating use in eliminating senior Lebanese Hezbollah leaders.
Even then, the air force used the tactic of bombing, with a large number of bombs (60-80) dropped one after the other on a series of buildings in the southern area of Beirut. It is also possible that he used the same method to eliminate the Iranian military leaders in the first phase of the offensive, placing them in a command center.
But these weapons are not enough to attack some of the tunnels where Iran has hidden missiles or scientific research facilities. Therefore, it is necessary to have the support of the United States with the GBU 57 to try to effectively hit Fordow. For other targets, its arsenal is sufficient: IAEA sources have revealed that attacks on Natanz, another key point, would have caused serious damage to the centrifuges for uranium enrichment, including those located underground. Technicians reiterate that the Fordow “mountain” is fundamental to the development of the program, but, at the same time, they reiterate that any attack can only slow down Tehran’s efforts.
But let’s start from the beginning, with the B-2s. The planes stayed in Diego Garcia for about a month and then returned to the United States, replaced by the B-52, another strategic instrument that, however, cannot carry the superbomb. Also on the runway were F-15 fighter jets, the necessary escort for the bombers. It is not clear what determined the return of an aircraft that is not only an important asset, but also a possible “signal” of operational aspects. In fact, as soon as there was talk of a possible American participation in the “campaign” in Iran, the “Spirit” and its bomb were immediately mentioned.
(Corriere della Sera)
