The $6 Billion Build-up of Bombers in the Indian Ocean
The massive convenience of U.S. bombers at the Diego Garcia military base in the remote corners of the Indian Ocean is likely setting off alarm bells for the Middle East.
Officials in the Islamic Republic may have been put on notice. The United States sent a: it has more than $6.6 billion worth of bombers amassed at a remote Indian Ocean military base that is beyond Tehran‘s reach but well within striking distance for the aircraft!
Is the Bomber Build-Up at Diego Garcia a Threat to Iran?
As reported last week, at least four Northrop B-2 Spirit bombers were deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, to the British territory of Diego Garcia, located in the Chagos Archipelago, approximately 2,300 miles from Houthi positions in Yemen, but also just hours from Iran for the aircraft.
According to satellite images captured by Planet Labs PBC and shared by The Associated Press, at least two more of the flying wing long-range strategic stealth bombers are now operating from Camp Thunder Bay on the island. The photos showed six aircraft lined up, with the recent build-up including nearly one-third of the United States Air Force‘s fleet of B-2s.
Each bomber is valued at around $1.1 billion, putting the total price for the six at $6.6 billion, but the message sent to Tehran could be priceless!
The Times of Israel reported, “It‘s also highly unusual to see many [B-2s] at one base abroad. Typically, so-called show of force missions involving the B-2 have seen two or three aircraft conduct operations in a foreign territory.”
The United States Air Force typically has carried out strikes with the bombers from Whiteman AFB, with the aircraft taking part in CONUS-to-CONUS missions flying from and back to Missouri. That was the case last October when a pair of Spirits was employed to target the Iran-backed Houthi militants‘ underground bases in Yemen. That marked the first time the B-2 flew a combat mission since 2017.
The airstrikes targeted facilities storing advanced conventional weapons employed in attacks against military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Though the Pentagon didn‘t confirm the location of the bunkers, the Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite news channel did report that there had been airstrikes near Sanaa, Yemen‘s capital city, which has been under the militant group‘s control since 2014.
Does Iran View These Bombers as Threats?
The deployment of six B-2s may be simply to send a strong message to Tehran, or the United States could be preparing to follow through on President Donald Trump‘s warning to Iran that it will bomb the Middle Eastern state if it fails to make a nuclear deal.
“The B-2 likely would need to be used if Washington ever tried to target Iran‘s underground nuclear sites,” The Times of Israel added.
The build-up of B-2s could be even more significant. There are reports that an additional Spirit was forced to divert to Hickam AFB, Hawaii, last week and, as of Monday, remained at the base, according to posts on social media.
There is speculation that the bomber could still be sent to Diego Garcia once any issues are resolved.
Are the B-2 Bombers in Iran‘s Crosshairs?
Officials in the Islamic Republic have reportedly explored options to launch a preemptive strike on Diego Garcia. Still, it remains unclear whether it can follow such a plan.
“Top commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if Trump‘s threats have become more serious,” an official in Tehran told The Telegraph. “Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there.”
The photos from Planet Labs also showed six KC-135 tankers parked on the apron at Camp Thunder Bay and the B-2s.
According to The War Zone, “four specially designed B-2 shelters” are at the base. It added, “The shelters are not hardened but are climate-controlled, and each is designed to hold a single B-2.”
While believed to be well beyond Iran‘s (likely) reach, the bombers are essentially out in the open.
As The War Zone warned, “Iran already has a history of using converted cargo vessels as motherships for intelligence gathering and covert attacks. There is also the potential for Iranian operatives or proxies to infiltrate an area to launch more localized [attacks], including using smaller and shorter-ranged weaponized drones.”
Such a strike on the high-value assets would be a huge propaganda coup for Tehran, but one that would almost certainly be met with an overwhelming response. The danger is that the Islamic Republic might take the chance, as it has a $6.6 billion target to aim at.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/ Airman 1st Class Cory Todd.