Decoys and tactical surprise: Pentagon releases details of Midnight Hammer

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Operation Midnight Hammer was a deliberate and precise strike, which U.S. officials said destroyed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

Air Force Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the operation as “a complex and high-risk mission carried out with exceptional skill and discipline," using “decoys and deception tactics.”

Before the air strikes on Iran, six B-2 stealth bombers departed from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and were reportedly heading to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam.

While the B-2 bombers' flight was widely reported, no official confirmation came from the military.

As it turns out, the Guam-bound stealth bombers were just a decoy to distract from the top-secret flights heading straight for Iran over the Atlantic.

At a live-streamed press conference at the Pentagon on Sunday, Caine said that very few people in Washington were privy to the timing and nature of the highly classified mission.

Caine said the “successful” strike launch, executed by the U.S. Central Command, reflected the United States’ “ability to project power globally with speed and precision at the time and place of our nation's choosing.”

Dan “Razin” Caine/Screengrab

The following are excerpts from the transcript of Caine’s presentation, detailing the execution of Operation Midnight Hammer.

“At midnight Friday into Saturday morning, a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. 

“As part of the plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy. A deception effort known only to an extremely small number of fighters and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa.

“The main strike package, comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications. Throughout the 18-hour flight into the target area, the aircraft completed multiple in-flight refuelings.

“Once over land, the B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex, tightly timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications. This type of integration is exactly what our Joint Force does better than anyone else in the world.

“At approximately 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time last night, and just prior to the strike package entering Iran, a U.S. submarine in the Central Command Area of Responsibility launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Isfahan.

“As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface to air missile threats.

“The strike package was supported by U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Force and U.S. European Command.

“As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed high-speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats. 

“At approximately 6.40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time 2:10 a.m. Iran time, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow.

"As the president stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well with a total of 14 mops drops against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. Eastern time again.

“That's about 2:10 in the morning local time in Iran, with the Tomahawk Missiles being the last to strike at Isfahan to ensure we retain the element of surprise throughout the operation.

“Following weapons release, the Midnight Hammer strike package exited Iranian airspace and the package began its return home. We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out. Iran's fighters did not fly and it appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us. Throughout the mission, we retained the element of surprise.

“In total, U.S. forces employed approximately precision-guided weapons during this operation. This included, as the president stated last night, 14 30,000-lb. GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrators, marking the first-ever operational use of this weapon. I know that battle damage is of great interest. 

“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction. 

“More than 125 U.S. aircraft participated in this mission, including B-2 stealth bombers, multiple flights of fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine and a full array of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds of maintenance and operational professionals.

“As the (defense) secretary said, this was the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history, and the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown, exceeded only by those in the days following 9-11. 

“Well, prior to the strike, General Carrillo elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf. Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice. 

“We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority.”

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