The US has redeployed B-1 Lancer strategic bombers in its ongoing campaign against Iran, months after they were used to strike targets in Iran during Operation Epic Fury. This suggests that the US is ramping up airpower in the Middle East as part of stepping up war plans in the region.
Interestingly, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) did not mention the use of the bomber or what target it struck in Iran; the flight was tracked by open-source plane tracking websites taking off from an air base in the UK. However, Israeli media had reported how the US informed Israel that it would soon deploy heavy bombers for strikes on Iran, presumably targeting fortified nuclear sites.
There were also reports that Iran moved thousands of centrifuges and part of its stockpile of 60-per cent enriched uranium to the Pickaxe Mountain facility. US President Donald Trump too had hinted that the US could target the Pickaxe Mountain, or Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, a site in the Natanz area.
The B-1 is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system that can carry one of the largest conventional weapons payloads in the U.S. arsenal, including dozens of cruise missiles or tens of tons of bombs. It can fly faster than the speed of sound at low altitudes while carrying the largest bomb load of any type of bomber.
However, it shouldn’t be confused with the B-2 Bombers that can deploy the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-buster bomb.
12th night attacks
CENTCOM stated that it had completed a 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iran. "U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defence assets," the command said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps also issued a statement on Thursday that it attacked US military bases in Jordan, destroying a US THAAD missile defence radar, a Patriot air defence system, a C-RAM radar, fuel storage tanks and helicopter maintenance facilities at a US base.
