B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers Begin Unannounced Deployment to Diego Garcia
Aviation lovers have monitored not less than two flights of a number of B-2 Spirit bombers transiting from Whiteman AFB to the strategic Indian Ocean outpost at Diego Garcia.
Utilizing open supply info from web sites akin to LiveATC, Flightradar24, and Airframes.io, some particulars of a major shock deployment of U.S. Air Drive strategic bombers have been pieced collectively by aviation lovers on social media.
Although B-2 Spirits don’t use the required transponder modes that on-line flight monitoring web sites use to show plane positions, they do normally correspond with the related air site visitors management authorities when travelling via pleasant airspace. Data gleaned from these communications could be pieced along with altitude reservations (ALTRVs) and the USAF tanker actions that assist lengthy vary bomber operations to supply a clearer general image.
The primary flight of plane started the transit on Mar. 24, 2025. Callsigns PITCH 11, 12, 13, and 14 had been heard, which means that for not less than a part of the flight 4 B-2s (21% of your complete fleet) had been within the air.
USAF tankers up from RAAF Amberley Base to hyperlink up with a pair of B-2 bombers inbound from Whitman AFB. Needs to be Pitch 11&12. Pitch 13 diverted to Hawaii on account of unspecified emergency.
63-8876, 61-0277, 59-1507 https://t.co/EMqPTRuTfV pic.twitter.com/7xkgqZus9Z
— RivetJoint (@SpeckleBelly64) March 25, 2025
Through the flight PITCH 13 declared an in-flight emergency and diverted to Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, co-located with Honolulu Worldwide Airport.
Reverse Ops on YT posted a video of PITCH13 touchdown in Honolulu with Airport hearth rescue following them. https://t.co/WdWpmgXEu8 pic.twitter.com/BnexWjVZuK
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) March 25, 2025
PITCH 11, 12 and 14 continued the journey and had been subsequent heard in touch with Brisbane Centre air site visitors management. PITCH 11 and 12 flew as a formation of two plane, the place one plane manages air site visitors management contact for 2 or extra plane. That is also known as MARSA, or Navy Assumes Duty for Separation of Plane.
4 KC-135 Stratotankers, callsigns BUZZ 31, 32, 33, and 34, positioned from Andersen Air Drive Base, Guam, to RAAF Base Amberley on Mar. 23 in preparation for the B-2 transit.
PITCH11 flt (B-2 Stealth) & PITCH14 wkg BRISBANE CENTRE westbound over Northern Australia this morning after refueling with BUZZ31 flt & BUZZ34 flt (KC-135) 😎💪
Audio by way of @liveatc and monitoring by way of @flightradar24 pic.twitter.com/05FT0PmXR5
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) March 25, 2025
Hours later, one other flight of B-2s, callsigns ABBA 11 and 12, had been reported leaving the U.S. West Coast heading on an identical routing by way of Australia to Diego Garcia.
Correction I imagine its a flight of x2.
Requested the Block FL270-FL280 For Cross.— Andy (@Andyyyyrrrr) March 25, 2025
With the distant nature of Diego Garcia, over a thousand miles from the closest landmass, as soon as plane destined for the UK-administered outpost strategy the islands it’s usually not doable to observe their progress utilizing the aforementioned web sites. Due to this fact, it’s troublesome to be completely sure what number of B-2s have truly touched down on the tarmac, however the quantity would seem like not less than 4 or 5 airframes.
On the time of writing, no official remark has been made concerning the deployment of B-2s to Diego Garcia. On typical Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployments or International Energy Missions (GPMs) a press launch and pictures are fast to comply with within the hours following the bombers’ arrival. Such deployments additionally normally don’t contain greater than two or three B-2 Spirits, that are a valuable and sparse useful resource within the USAF stock.
An Air Drive spokesperson did, nonetheless, confirm to The War Zone {that a} B-2 Spirit had landed at Joint Base Pearl Harbour–Hickam.
Alongside the B-2s, a gradual motion of C-17A Globemaster III airlifters have been famous en path to Diego Garcia via various key U.S. logistics hubs. These embody Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. A few of these flights originated from Whiteman AFB, which can be carrying assist gear and probably personnel for the B-2s.
Vital motion of C-17s into Diego Garcia during the last 2 days:
3/23
AE4F14 as RCH258
AE1238 as RCH851
3/24
AE146C as RCH837
AE0805 as RCH287
AE1177 as RCH894
3/25
AE146B as RCH891
AE4D66 as RCH839ACARS means that these flights are linked on the identical mission. https://t.co/FhWc9ejfSn pic.twitter.com/wfmk5xfTwy
— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) March 25, 2025
A Discover to Airmen (NOTAM) issued for Diego Garcia on Mar. 25 lists two of the airfields’ parking spots as out of use till Could 1, 2025. Whereas this can be purely coincidental, whether it is associated to the deployment it offers a possible concept of how lengthy it could final. After all, the NOTAM could also be withdrawn earlier or renewed as essential ought to the deployment be shorter or longer.
The airfield at Diego Garcia has 4 devoted hangars for the B-2 Spirit. Each can home a single plane, and they’re local weather managed to guard the stealth plane’s delicate radar absorbing pores and skin.
Diego Garcia is now the one recognized location to make use of the distinctive B2SS or B-2 Shelter System clamshell-style hangars. These hangars are air transportable and could be constructed in round 70 days. RAF Fairford beforehand had one B2SS hangar, nevertheless it was eliminated after being broken in excessive winds (the bottom nonetheless retains two everlasting B-2 hangars, just like these at Whiteman AFB).
Because of the variety of these hangars, if 5 B-2s have certainly touched down on Diego Garcia’s tarmac we should always quickly be capable to see not less than considered one of them by way of satellite tv for pc imagery.
Ahead Basing
With the shortage of official acknowledgement of a B-2 deployment, it isn’t unreasonable to beg the query whether or not they have been despatched to the area upfront of potential fight operations.
The U.S. is actively finishing up airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, and B-2s have beforehand been employed as a part of these operations. Nevertheless, these sorties had been flown instantly from Whiteman AFB. It’s unlikely that operations towards the Houthis, who’ve solely restricted air protection capabilities, would warrant such a big ahead deployment of America’s premier stealth strike functionality.
As a substitute, the ideas of many commentators have turned in direction of Iran. The Trump administration has reintroduced strict sanctions towards Iran, aiming to dissuade the Iranian authorities from pursuing a nuclear weapons functionality.
President Trump reportedly informed Iranian chief Ayatollah Khamenei in a letter that Iran should both conform to a deal or face navy penalties. Nationwide Safety Adviser Michael Waltz told CBS News on Sunday (Mar. 23) that “all choices are on the desk”.
If the U.S. had been to conduct airstrikes towards Iran, the B-2 can be one of many first platforms to be thought of. Although the bombers at the moment are reaching a good age, their stealth options stay world class. Maybe simply as importantly, the B-2 Spirit is presently the one plane within the U.S. stock cleared to operationally carry and deploy the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). Two MOPs could be carried per plane.
The MOP is a very giant 30,000 lb class weapon that’s the religious successor to the Second World Conflict period T-12 Cloudmaker and Grand Slam ‘earthquake’ bombs. It was commissioned following the 2003 Iraq Conflict, the place current bunker buster bombs had been discovered to be insufficient for probably the most hardened buildings.
It’s, in impact, designed particularly for the mission of destroying the strongly protected nuclear, chemical, organic, or radiological weapon amenities and stockpiles of hostile nations like Iran and North Korea. The U.S. Air Drive itself describes the weapons’ operate as “reaching and destroying our adversaries’ weapons of mass destruction”.
From @theintelfrog.bsky.social, That is probably staging fighters and different gear (Air protection?) for anti Houthi operations. Prince Sultan is the best-positioned air base with a big US presence close to Yemen. To this point the US Navy has been conducting the marketing campaign alone, count on USAF will be a part of quickly.
— IntelWalrus (@intelwalrus.bsky.social) March 22, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Concurrently this B-2 deployment, the U.S. Air Drive is reinforcing bases throughout the Center East with rotations of fighter plane together with F-35s. For a short interval over the approaching weeks, two U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) are anticipated to be working inside the U.S. Central Command (CENTOM) space of accountability.
Whether or not these plane are solely meant to bolster efforts towards the Houthi rebels or are serving an additional objective will certainly develop into extra clear over the approaching weeks.
