Inside Operation Epic Fury: Why US is moving B-1 ‘Bunker Busters’ to Britain for strikes on Iran

The United States Air Force is reportedly preparing its long-range strategic bombers, including B-1 bomber aircraft, for possible strikes on Iran’s deeply buried targets, even as the war in West Asia plunged the Gulf region’s oil infrastructure and shipping lanes into a crisis with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is among the countries which maintain a fleet of long-range strategic bombers, with Russia and China being the other two nations. The US Air Force operates three bomber aircraft, which were developed during the Cold War, and reports suggest that the US military has deployed all these warplanes in the ongoing Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The aircraft includes the Northrop B-2 Spirit, which is a stealth bomber and began its service in the US Air Force in 1993; the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which initiated its service in the military in the 1950s; and the Rockwell B-1B Lancer, which began operation in the 1980s. Though President Donald Trump has said that the US military has succeeded in destroying key targets in Iran and that there’s “practically nothing ​left” to target in Iran ⁠and that the war ​there will end “soon,” additional bombers have been deployed to the main US air base in the UK. Several videos and news reports showed the US Air Force’s B-1 bomber aircraft being loaded with “bunker buster” explosives at Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Britain on Wednesday. A Gulf News report stated that Washington could be preparing to strike Tehran’s fortified underground facilities, where the Islamic nation is reportedly known to store ballistic missiles and drones. ## Why do US B-1 bomber aircraft matter? B-1B Lancer: • Fastest operational US bomber with a fleet of 45 active-duty B-1B Lancers. • B-1B Lancer has the largest payload, carrying 75,000 pounds, including 84 500-pound Mk-82 or 24 2,000-pound general-purpose bombs. • It is designed to strike deep and penetrate the reinforced underground bunkers which are reinforced. B-2 Spirit stealth bomber: • It’s a large payload capacity bomber produced by US-based Northrop Grumman. • It functions on low observability technology with a range without refuelling of 9,600 kilometres. • B-2 Spirit is the only operational aircraft which is certified to carry GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb. ## What are the possible US targets inside Iran? • Sites linked with Iran’s nuclear programme. • Command and control bunkers are used to coordinate military operations. • Sites which store drones, missiles and other heavy munitions. • Industrial sites which are linked to long-range weapons factories and missile production.