Why are B-2 stealth bombers being deployed to Guam, and what could come next?
As the war between Iran and Israel continues, Fox News confirmed earlier reports that B-2 stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and headed to Guam.
A Reuters report, quoting one U.S. official, said no order was given to move the planes beyond Guam. Reuters said it wasn't clear if the deployment was linked to the rising tensions in the Middle East.
The UK Defense Journal reports the stealth bombers were accompanied by eight KC-135 Stratotankers, which would allow for midair refueling. The journal suggests the bombers’ ultimate destination may be Diego Garcia, a U.S. base in the Indian Ocean.
Here’s what to know about the path that the B-2s might take, the role Diego Garcia has played amid escalating tensions with Iran and why the B-2s are critical to a possible mission at the well-fortified Iranian nuclear site at Fordow.
Retired Navy Cdr. Jim "Puck" Howe told Fox News Digital the stealth bombers "can easily make it" to Guam in a single flight with one mid-air refueling. Howe said the Stratotankers’ fuel capacities are unlikely to keep the B-2s aloft if their ultimate destination is the "significantly farther" island base of Diego Garcia.
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Howe says that while the U.S. "could attack [Fordow] from Guam," it "makes a lot more sense" to launch an attack from Diego Garcia due to its proximity to Iran.
Diego Garcia is a base 2,400 miles south of Iran. Its strategic value lies in its deep-water port, a long runway that is "capable of accommodating heavy bombers and advanced satellite communication systems," Aero-News Journal reports.
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The U.S. has utilized the base when managing threats from Iran in the past. Two B-2s were deployed to Diego Garcia in March. The Islamic Republic of Iran threatened to attack the U.S. base in April.
It is unclear whether any Iranian ballistic missiles are capable of reaching Diego Garcia. U.S. troops across the Middle East are said to face increased risk of attack should the U.S. enter the conflict.
Each stealth bomber is capable of carrying two 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, which are believed to be the most effective means of destroying the Iranian nuclear site at Fordow, which may be dug in between 300 feet and 2,600 feet below a rocky mountain.
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital "destroying [Fordow] from the air is a job only the U.S. can do."
Reuters contributed to this report.