Colonel Khodarenok: The United States may strike Iran's nuclear facilities with bunker buster bombs
The Israeli Defense Forces' operation "Rising Lion" against Iran continues. This raises questions about whether this conflict will grow, whether new participants will join it, and whether the war will cover the entire Middle East. The military observer of Gazeta dealt with the prospects of the Iranian-Israeli conflict.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok.
At this stage, none of the third countries has entered into open armed confrontation with either Iran or Israel. Nevertheless, Washington is deploying additional forces and assets in the area of responsibility of the United States Central Command. And it is likely that in one way or another the Pentagon will join this armed conflict (either explicitly or indirectly).
In particular, the United States has sent more than 30 KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft to the east since the evening of June 15. As you know, the combat range of the fourth-generation McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters of the Israeli Air Force allows strikes against most targets in Iran.
However, a significant part of the Israeli Air Force fleet consists of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role fighters, which need to be refueled in the air in order to effectively carry out their assigned combat missions in Iranian airspace.
It is possible that the transfer of tanker aircraft from the continental United States is related to the need to strengthen the combat capabilities of the Israeli Air Force.
Among other things,
The MOP is an aviation weapon weighing 13,609 kg. The body of the aerial bomb contains 2080 kg of explosive AFX-757/PBXN-114. The geometric dimensions of the bomb are as follows: length - 6.2 meters, diameter - 800 mm. The GBU-57 targets the target with combined INS/GPS guidance. The aerial bomb is significantly larger than all previous generation penetrating munitions, in particular the 2,300 kg GBU-28 and GBU-37.
GBU-57 is specially designed to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities and is capable of piercing 60 meters of soil and 20 meters of reinforced concrete.
This munition can only be lifted by a B-2 Spirit strategic bomber, in the inner armory of which two such bombs can be placed.
As is known, there are no such carriers in the equipment of the Israeli Air Force. Therefore, it is quite possible to involve this type of US Air Force aircraft in the conflict. B-2A strategic bombers can be used either from the continental United States or from forward-based air bases.
In particular, the 509th Bomber Wing of the 8th Air Force (AFGSC Global Strike Command) is deployed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the first and only one in the US Air Force armed with B-2A strategic bombers.
During the conflict in Yugoslavia in 1999, during the B-2A flights from Whiteman Air Base to the territory of Yugoslavia, as a rule, four aerial refueling flights were conducted.
Refueling was provided by tanker aircraft operating from air bases in the continental United States and from advanced air refueling groups deployed at Moron (Spain) and Lagens (Azores) air bases. The total length of the B-2 non-stop flight route was about 20 thousand km, the speed on the route was 770-850 km/h, and the flight time was up to 28 hours. Bombing was carried out from high altitudes (up to 12 thousand meters).
But the B-2 can also be used from the advanced Diego Garcia air base (Chagos Archipelago, Indian Ocean).
Aircraft carrier and naval strike groups of the US Navy are also being deployed in the region, which can take part in repelling Iranian air attacks on Israel. So it is quite possible that the United States will somehow join in attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran.
At the same time, if Iran attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz, it is likely that the monarchies of the Persian Gulf will oppose it. It is unlikely that they will take part in the bombing of the Islamic Republic, and even more so in sending ground troops to the war zone, but they can easily put their infrastructure at the disposal of anti-Iranian forces.
So the United States can join Operation Rising Lion, and the monarchies of the Persian Gulf can indirectly support Israel in the event of incidents with the Strait of Hormuz. The possible involvement of the United Kingdom (most likely) and other NATO countries in the conflict (less likely) cannot be ruled out.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
