AN AMERICAN B-2 stealth bomber pilot has revealed what it’s like inside the world’s most inconspicuous jet.
The fighter jets that executed the bold assault on three Iranian nuclear facilities this past Saturday have always been wrapped in secrecy, with access tightly restricted.
Comprising a total of 19 in its lineup, the formidable B-2 Spirit is the sole aircraft capable of deploying GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator munitions, essential for targeting Iran’s nuclear establishment at Fordow, located south of Tehran.
But despite their military prowess, very little is known about the powerful jets.
A pilot named Neal, who was among the small team deployed to Afghanistan following the events of 9/11, has revealed insights into the experience of operating the $2 million aircraft.
According to Neal the planes are very small and can barely accommodate three people.
And with such long journeys, getting a good night’s sleep is rarely on the cards.
Pilots are often given a stimulant by flight surgeons to help stay awake, known informally as a “go pill”, he said.
But despite the cramped space, the planes come equipped with a microwave and cooler “filled with snacks” to ensure crew are fed and alert during long trips.
A toilet can also be found onboard as well as a “cot” where pilots take it in turns to have a lie down.
Neal told Business Insider: “When the ladder comes up and you enter the cockpit, there is a flat spot on the floor that is about a little over 6 feet long.
“And so I think over the two days that I was in that little space, I spent about five hours in that cot total.”
“You’re young, and you’re doing something that you’re trained to do, and there’s a bit of excitement and a lot of adrenaline.”
This comes as Operation Midnight saw the US blitz three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities in an attack Trump has called a “spectacular success”.
The “prime” target was Iran’s mountain-fortress nuclear site Fordow, buried beneath 300ft of rock and steel, which only the US had the firepower to eliminate.
The uranium enrichment plant was pounded by an unprecedented blitz of 14 30,000lb bunker-buster bombs – called GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP).
They were dropped from six B-2 bombers flying high in the atmosphere for 37 hours all the way from Missouri.
Also hit were the nuclear plants at Natanz and Isfahan, which Israel had already targeted with its own missiles.
The aircraft took off from the Whiteman Air Force Base outside Kansas City, Missouri – the home of the B-2 fleet.
B-2 bombers took off from the US and were thought to be heading to the Andersen Air Force Base on the Pacific island of Guam.
Satellite imagery of the destroyed bases has since revealed the extent of the damage.
Two clusters of at least six holes are seen at the Fordow nuclear site, where the massive 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs were dropped.
Bombs of this kind are believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet below the surface before exploding.
Following the bombing, Sir Keir Starmer reinstated his commitment to making Iran nuke-free.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Midnight Hammer was “an incredible and overwhelming success” that took months and weeks of planning.
He added that Trump has been clear that “any retaliation by Iran” against the US would be “met with force far greater” than what was seen on Saturday night.
Hegseth said: “Iran would be smart to heed those words. He’s said it before, and he means it.”
The Defence Secretary went on to praise the US leader, calling it “bold and brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back”.
He urged: “When this President speaks, the world should listen.”
Fears loom that the conflict could spiral into a world war, with Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev making a veiled threat to supply Iran with nuclear weapons.
He said: “A number of countries are ready to supply Iran directly with their nuclear weapons.”
After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn’t agree to an adequate peace deal.
He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”
“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.”
