Indian airspace not used to bomb Iran: Top US commander

A top military commander in the US has shared the route taken by the B-2-bombers to strike Iran and how after the mission, the planes turned towards the Arabian Sea and did not enter the air space of either Pakistan or, further east, the airspace of India.

General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US, at a news conference on Sunday detailed the ‘midnight hammer’ mission, and gave the information about the route. This put an end to speculation on social media that Indian air space was also used by B-2 bombers.

Gen Caine said following the strikes on Iran “the package (of US planes) exited Iranian airspace, and the package began its return home”.

Meanwhile in India, the Press Information Bureau called out social media accounts that have claimed that Indian airspace was used by the US to launch aircraft against Iran during operation ‘Midnight Hammer’. The PIB said “the claim is fake”. In the US, Gen Caine said the operation was a deliberate and precise strike against three Iranian nuclear facilities.

At midnight of June 20-21 a large B-2 strike package comprised bombers launched from the continental US. As planned to maintain tactical surprise, a part of the package, proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy.

The main strike package comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east (towards Iran) with minimal communications. Throughout the 18-hour flight into the target area, the aircraft completed multiple in-flight re-fuelings.

Just prior to the B2 strike package entering Iran, a US submarine launched more than two dozen ‘Tomahawk’ land attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan. As the operation ‘Midnight Hammer’ air strike package entered Iranian airspace, several deception tactics, including decoys, were pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface to air missile.

The lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 ‘massive ordnance penetrator’ weapons’ on the first of several targets at Fordow. The remaining bombers also hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 penetrator dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck. More than 125 US aircraft participated in this mission.