Stealth Bomber Was Equipped With Microwave, Mini-Fridge, and Toilets

In a recent 37-hour mission dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the US sent a team of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to strike three Iranian nuclear plants. While it is well-known that mid-air refueling can keep a plane flying for longer periods, many are unaware of how pilots are able to stay sane for almost two days in the air.

The flight path, kept largely under radio silence, required multiple midair refuelings and complex coordination with support aircraft and fighter escorts over Iranian airspace. According to officials, the mission involved tightly synchronized maneuvers among multiple aircraft platforms operating in constrained airspace.

To carry out strikes on the heavily fortified Fordow site, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators: 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs capable of striking hardened underground targets. This marked the first time the US had used the GBU-57 in combat.

Additional B-2s released 14 more bombs on nuclear-related sites in Natanz and Esfahan. While the full extent of damage remains unclear, President Donald Trump announced that the facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.”

The B-2’s unique ability to remain stealthy while delivering heavy payloads over intercontinental distances made it the only platform capable of conducting such a mission. The aircraft’s impressive capabilities, however, don’t make it any easier for pilots to spend almost two full days in a cockpit.

Pilots relied on a small set of in-flight comforts, including a microwave, mini-fridge, toilet, and enough cabin space for one crew member to lie down while the other flew. For a $2 billion aircraft, the amenities are simple… but appreciated.

This was the longest B-2 operation since post-9/11 strikes in Afghanistan. The aircraft, introduced in 1997, remains central to the U.S. strategic bombing force. Only 19 are still in service, with the Air Force preparing to replace the fleet with B-21 Raiders in the coming decades.

FMI: www.af.mil