US military lost one B-2 bomber? Four left from Whiteman Air Force Base but only three returned, Iran claims to have blocked the western mountain areas!
An open-source intelligence account has revealed that during a certain operation against Iran, the US military may have lost one B-2 "Spirit" strategic bomber. The claim is that four aircraft took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, but only three returned. Meanwhile, Iran claims that the missing aircraft crashed in its western mountain areas and has already sealed off the site.
If this is true, it would be one of the biggest military black swan events of this century. The B-2 bomber is the most valuable "assassin" in the US military's arsenal. A total of 21 were built worldwide, and now only about 19 are still operational. Each costs more than $2 billion, and it's not just about the money; it is a symbol of the United States' global rapid strike capability.
However, the detail of "four went, three came back" is currently only present in social media open-source intelligence tracking posts. As of now, neither the US Department of Defense nor the Iranian military official channels have issued any official announcement confirming the B-2's crash.
There is also a huge logical doubt here: if a B-2 really went missing during a mission, for an army of such a level, the first reaction would usually be to launch the highest-level search and rescue and confidentiality procedures, rather than letting the news spread on Twitter or Telegram groups first.
On the other hand, if Iran really shot down or discovered the wreckage, it would be an excellent opportunity for them to showcase their air defense capabilities. They would usually immediately announce photos of the wreckage or even the pilot's condition, using it as a significant political leverage. However, so far, besides the statement about "blocking the western mountain areas," there is no concrete visual evidence that has surfaced.
The question now is where did the missing B-2 go? Why isn't the Pentagon responding to this issue? The B-2 is seen as a "untouchable" myth. Dao Ge believes that if it was shot down by Iran, or even just crashed within Iranian territory, the myth of the US "global reach, global strike" would be shattered. Allies would begin to doubt America's security commitments, while adversaries would reassess the cost of entering conflicts.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858787662606336/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.