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6 B-2 bombers photographed at Diego Garcia base
Satellite photos of the Diego Garcia base, in the British Indian Ocean Territory, show six B-2 bombers, which can carry 18 tons of fuel and fly up to 11,000 kilometers without refueling.
This is the only American aircraft designed to carry the “MOP” (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) super-bomb, also known as the GBU-57, a 12.3-ton bomb designed specifically to hit underground nuclear facilities, such as the Fordow one in Iran. This information includes official intelligence sources and satellite images, Ynet reports.
The Fordow facility is built inside a "sacred mountain," a massive bunker where Iran has set up centrifuges to enrich uranium. It is difficult to hit by Israeli aircraft, which have so far only "scratched" the outside of the facility.
Recent satellite images show minor damage: a protective wall along one of the access roads.
Iran, since its founding, has closely followed developments in the Middle East. During its eight-year war with Iraq, it used surface-to-surface missiles, a key weapon today. The 1980s also saw the Israeli attack on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor, the first operation against nuclear proliferation. The result? Iran realized that if it wanted nuclear weapons, it had to keep them protected underground, as at Fordow and, more recently, at Kolan Gaz near Natanz.
Thus, construction began in 2006–2007, officially accepted only in 2009. The location was ideal, inside a mountain that serves as a shield, and with a symbolic field for national sentiment: the region has left “martyrs” in the war with Saddam Hussein’s army and is near the holy Shiite city of Qom. However, this symbolism remains secondary to strategic and scientific needs.
The facility is located 90–100 meters underground. The Israeli Air Force has anti-bunker bombs, which it uses to strike Hezbollah underground bases, but it does not have the Pentagon's 14-ton GBU-57A super bomb that only the B-2 can carry.
This bomb was developed in the early 2000s for adversaries such as North Korea and Iran, and has been improved to increase its destructive power. The GBU‑57 penetrates shields and explodes inside, including the target for maximum targeting. Recent upgrades make it effective even when there is no detailed information on the target’s position and depth.
The New York Times revealed that the Pentagon conducted tests using repeated maneuvers that reinforced the strike, especially for the deep bunker at Fordow. Today it is estimated that only with American help can Fordow be damaged, but US intervention does not guarantee complete success.
On March 31, six B-2s arrived at Diego Garcia, a US and British base in the Indian Ocean. Initially, there was talk of using them against the Houthis in Yemen, but there is also talk of possible action against Iran. A month later, they were moved to the US, replaced by four B-52s, but satellite images by Ynet suggest that the B-2s have recently returned to Diego Garcia.
Pending the order from Trump to strike Fordow, the following have also been deployed to the region:
-Two aircraft carriers: USS Vinson and USS Nimitz,
-Dozens of F-35 and F-22 aircraft,
/Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Corriere Sella Sera"
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