American B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri toward a strategic base in Guam in the western Pacific, two US officials confirmed to Reuters on Saturday.
The bombers were reportedly accompanied by four Boeing KC-46 Pegasus refueling aircraft. Two of them have already performed refueling for the B-2 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, according to reports. The other two are about 75 kilometers behind them.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers were being moved.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two additional refueling aircraft took off from north of San Francisco and were reportedly heading north. Their next refueling point is said to be later in Hawaii.
One of US's most advanced weapons platforms
The US Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber represents one of America’s most advanced strategic weapons platforms, capable of entering sophisticated air defenses and delivering precision strikes against hardened targets such as Iran’s buried network of nuclear research facilities.
The US military is ready to carry out any decision that President Donald Trump may make on Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, adding that Tehran should have heeded the president’s calls for it to make a deal on its nuclear program prior to the start of Israel’s strikes on Friday.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Israel continued its attacks on Iran, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying that Saeed Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm, was killed in a strike on an apartment in the north-central Iranian city of Qom.
Calling his killing a “major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the air force,” Katz said Izadi had financed and armed Hamas ahead of the massacre on October 7, 2023.
In a separate overnight airstrike, Behnam Shahriyari, a senior IRGC Quds Force official, was killed in western Iran, the IDF said Saturday, noting that he was targeted in a strike while driving in a car, more than 1,000 miles from Israel.
The IAF also bombed Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site early Saturday for the second time since the start of the war. Some 50 fighter jets were reportedly involved in overnight strikes, dropping 150 munitions on dozens of targets in Iran, including four primed missile launchers.
B-2 Spirit specifications
The US B-2 stealth jets cost about $2.1 billion each, making them the most expensive military aircraft ever built.
Made by Northrop Grumman, the bomber, with its cutting-edge stealth technology, began its production run in the late 1980s, but was curbed by the fall of the Soviet Union. Only 21 were made after the Pentagon’s planned acquisition program was truncated.
The bomber’s range of over 6,000 nautical miles without refueling enables global strike capabilities from continental US bases. With aerial refueling, the B-2 can reach virtually any target worldwide, as demonstrated in missions from Missouri to Afghanistan and Libya.
Its payload capacity of more than 40,000 pounds (20 short tons) allows the aircraft to carry a diverse array of conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber’s internal weapons bays are specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads, which could include two GBU-57A/B MOPs (Massive Ordnance Penetrators), a 30,000-pound precision-guided “bunker buster” bomb.
The two-pilot crew configuration reduces personnel requirements while maintaining operational effectiveness through advanced automation systems.
The B-2’s stealth technology incorporates radar-absorbing materials and angular design features that minimize detection by enemy air defense systems. Its radar cross-section is reportedly comparable to that of a small bird, making it nearly invisible to conventional radar.
The bomb’s penetration capability of more than 60 meters through hardened concrete makes it effective against the world’s most protected underground installations.
Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) provide the B-2 with precision conventional strike capability against fixed targets. These GPS-guided weapons can be deployed in large numbers, with the bomber capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets with high accuracy.
Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW) extend the aircraft’s engagement range while maintaining stealth characteristics during approach. These glide bombs allow the B-2 to strike targets from outside heavily defended airspace perimeters.
Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) offer long-range precision strike capability with their own stealth features. The extended-range JASSM-ER (Extended Range) variant provides strike options against targets over 800 kilometers away.
The B-2 Spirit serves as a key component of America’s nuclear triad, capable of delivering strategic nuclear weapons with stealth and precision. The aircraft can carry up to 16 B83 nuclear bombs.