The US Air Force (USAF) used its B-2 Spirit stealth bombers for the first time against targets of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.
According to the US Department of Defense, precision strikes were conducted on October 17 and included the aircraft.
The mission aimed to destroy five underground weapons storage sites controlled by the Houthis, a group that has the support of Iran and has launched attacks on merchant ships in the Persian Gulf region.
“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
The B-2’s last known action was in 2017
The B-2 Spirit is the only known operational stealth bomber in the world. It will be replaced by the B-21 Raider, both developed by Northrop Grumman.
There are currently only 19 active aircraft after two bombers were lost. The flying wing jets are based in Whiteman, Missouri, but it is not known whether they departed from the U.S. air base to carry out the strikes.
Outlets indicate that the giant 30,000-pound GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) bombs may have been used in the attack since they are designed to penetrate walls up to 200 feet (61 meters) thick.
According to Bloomberg, the last B-2 attack occurred in January 2017. “The employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere,” said Austin.
