Locator: 48783WAR.
Updates
June 25, 2025:
June 25, 2025: link here.
June 24, 2025: The Strike, link here to The WSJ, a video explanation. Love seeing the B-2 in flight.
Earlier Posts
Trump did not “go wobbly.”
Has Trump moved warfare to another level? Modular? Specific? 72-hour?
Has Trump re-defined the definition of "war"?
Over the weekend this song was played non-stop for 36 hours by B-2 pilots, link here:
It's Fordow despite the fact that CNBC consistently refers to it as Fordo. CNBC must be confused with something out of The Lord of the Rings. And for the record, that was "Frodo," not "Fordo." LOL.
SecDef briefing: link here --
This didn't age well, from The [London] Telegraph:
At this moment in time, the baton has been passed from President Trump to SecState Rubio for the 2028 presidential campaign.
The game is up: link here.
Link here: Monday morning: best briefing I've seen so far; more to come, I'm sure.
Locator: 48783WAR.
Definition of war: is an operation to degrade a component of an enemy a declaration, or act, of war? If so, the CIA has "declared" war on numerous occasions, including the Bay of Pigs. Was taking out Qasem Soleimani in 2020 a declarative act of war?
Operation "Midnight Hammer."
- Monday morning: best briefing I've seen so far; more to come, I'm sure.
military strike
- first time ever:
- operational use of the MOP
- incredible op-sec
- not one leak
- not one human life lost -- on either side -- unprecedented
- done without troops on ground
- not one Iranian was attacked; only thing attacked: nuclear facilities
- SecState Rubio looking like the guy to beat in 2028
- if they (Iran) respond, it will be the biggest mistake Iran ever makes
- US not at war with Iran
- purpose was to take out nuclear factories
- poster child for US politician most confused: US Senator Massie, Kentucky - Republican
- this is not about regime change; it's all about protecting the US
- military
- ten iranian nuclear facilities attacked -- not one, not three, but ten
- largest B-2 bomber strike in history
- 125 military a/c involved
- 14 MOABs -- GBU -57 bunker busters
- 24 TLAMS
- 75 precision-guided munitions
- lessons learned:
- huge, huge opportunities for US military learning from this massive response
- we've never seen anything like this before
- will be subject for senior military schools for years (Army War College, Air War College, Naval War College)
ruse:
- Trump makes decision;
- pivot form west-to-east.
- Diego Garcia not used
- second longest non-stop round-trip for any US a/c ever (only longer, B-2 after 9/11)
- steps:
- President wants options
- Pentagon presents three options
- President picks one option or tells Pentagon to come back with three new options
Other:
- not one "shot" fired by Iran during the military strike
- the planes were gone even before the Iranians knew what happened
- three nuclear facilities hit at same time, not just one as Israel had requested
- Iran received no support from China or Russia
- Iran received no support from proxies (Hamas, or Hezbollah)
- Iranian leadership is buried, hunkered down in bunkers without any communication (except by "runners")
- Iran knows if Iran attacks American site in Mideast, Trump will respond with overwhelming force
Trump:
- tells folks what he is going to do, and then does it
Updates
June 22, 2025: this didn't age well -- link here.
June 22, 2025: people seem in awe that the US could do this with no collateral damage.
Some people must have forgotten that the US put first man on the moon in 1969 -- almost exact 56 years ago to the day. The 150,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) know they have an unprecedented opportunity to be 150,000 martyrs. I don't expect the fighting to stop any time soon. Khomeini is staying true to his word he won't "surrender" and he won't "negotiate."
June 22, 2025: B-2s did not fly from Diego Garcia for attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. The B-2s that flew west from the US over the Pacific to Diego Garcia were a ruse and turned around and came home. The attack came from the west, B-2s flying west to east, along with US Navy submarines and TLAMs firing from the west. If we're lucky, DOD may release the flight track, but unlikely.
Later, 9:05 p.m. CT: President Trump announces complete destruction of three nuclear sites in Iran.
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Original Post
Other:
The GBU-557 bunker buster weighs in at a robust 30,000lbs, the equivalent of five F-350s.
Lots of photo shopping and wildly inaccurate posting over on x right now.
Updates
Minutes ago, speculative, estimated, not official, back of the proverbial napkin, link here.
54 minutes ago: link here.
Later, 10:13 a.m. CT: Le Mot de Cambronne (x hastag), link here.
Later, 10:08 a.m. CT: link here.
Later, 10:07 a.m. CT: Iran has ended negotiations with Europe (3-E) stating that the European nations were "unrealistic." That's the Khomeini "go / no go" decision right there. Does anyone really think that if the Iranians didn't have at least one nuclear warhead on one ballistic missile they wouldn't be launching it now? Seriously?
Original Post
B-2s out of Whiteman generally stage out of Diego Garcia and remain on-site for any number of days for any number of reasons when they might be needed in the Mideast.
However, it is more likely that when the "go / no-go" decision has been made, the B-2s will depart Whiteman AFB, Missouri, fully loaded, fly non-stop to target, release munitions, and return to home base, without landing anywhere en-route or until return to Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Once the "go / no-go" decision has been made, there is no reason to "park" these $2-billion a/c away from their home station which would add increased risk.
At this moment, a KC-135R -- the mainstay of the USAF refueling contingent -- has launched out of Hawaii. -- Posted 9:33 a.m. CT, Saturday morning, June 21, 2025.
There's only one reason for KC-135R's to be launching out of Hawaii.
Holy mackerel: at very same time, the huge KC-46A refueling tanker has also launched from Hawaii.
From ChatGPT this morning at 9:20 a.m. CT, June 21, 2025:
There is currently an "otherwise-unidentified" B744 flying over / in the vicinity of Diego Garcia at 9:39 a.m. CT, Saturday morning, June 21, 2025:
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As Israel Runs Out Of Defensive Weapons ...
... Trump administration dithers.
