Only 20 in service — US B-2 stealth bombers take flight amid Iran-Israel tensions: The details

Report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

From the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, B-2 stealth bombers took off as part of a strategic move defined by its timing and location.

The B-2, an advanced-generation stealth strategic bomber, is among the most sophisticated aircraft in the U.S. Air Force. 

It is designed to penetrate advanced air defenses and carry out precision strikes. It can deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons, with a range exceeding 11,000 kilometers without refueling.

But why did the stealth bomber launch from Missouri?

Whiteman Air Force Base, located in the central United States, is the home base for this bomber model. The base is specially designed to provide maximum security, protection, and maintenance for this sensitive aircraft—only 20 of which are in active service.

Launching from Missouri gives the aircraft the ability to quickly and flexibly move toward any global theater of operations, with the possibility of aerial refueling, allowing it to reach any strategic target within hours.

The bomber’s destination is the Guam Island in the Pacific Ocean, which serves as a key launch point for any U.S. operations toward Asia and the Middle East.

With increasing tensions, especially in the Middle East amid the Israel-Iran confrontation, does this move signal that Washington’s intervention in the war on Israel’s behalf is near? Or is it part of ongoing pressure on Tehran?