A third American aircraft carrier is heading to Middle East. But, where is the B-2 bomber?

The US Navy has deployed a third carrier strike group within the reach of the Mideast with US defence officials stating that USS Gerald R. Ford will soon be deployed to to the Mediterranean. The deployment has been scheduled for months, according to reports.

 

While USS Carl Vinson and its strike group are already operating in the area of US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, ship spotters said the USS Nimitz carrier strike group, which was in the Indo-Pacific, was heading towards the Middle East. 

 

The Nimitz is currently moving through the Malacca Strait from the South China Sea to the Mideast. It is unclear what the US plans are and whether these carrier strike groups will remain near Iran in the  Israel-Iran conflict.  

 

As of now, the USS The Sullivans and the USS Arleigh Burke are striking down Iranian missiles and drones. The Sullivans has been joined in the Eastern Mediterranean this week by the USS Thomas Hudner to continue those defence strikes, while the Arleigh Burke has moved away from the area, an official told Associated Press. 

 

The US Air Force has also deployed fighters to bases within the Middle East. More than two dozen U.S. Air Force KC-135R and KC-46A tankers have flown across from the United States. As per Flightradar24, these tankers were spotted stopping off the US airbases in Spain, Scotland and England.

 

One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft. While the F-22s may be coming to the Middle East from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, the F-35s are likely drawn from either the Vermont Air National Guard, according to experts. 

 

The stealth fighters were split into three flights of four, each supported by a KC-135 tanker, reportedly flying from RAF Mildenhall in England and Morón Air Base in Spain, according to The War Zone. 

 

However, all eyes are on  Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the B-2 stealth bombers. Though the US has repositioned the resources needed to support the B-2 stealth bombers, there is so far no recorded movement of the B-2. 

 

Only the B-2 bombers can drop the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) or the bunker-buster bombs that can destroy the underground Fordow Uranium enrichment plan, thanks to its ability to penetrate deep air defences undetected.

Middle East