Cnn
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Friday evening, several American b-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in the Missouri and go west, according to flight tracking data, as President Donald Trump weighs its military options On a potential air strike in Iran.
An American defense official said there was no order to go ahead with any kind of operation against Iran using the B-2S. On Saturday, planes fly over the Pacific and seem to go to Guam.
Two American defense officials have warned that any B-2S movement does not mean that an operation is imminent, but is rather intended to provide options to the President. Another American official said that moving planes can be a show of strength and a means of deterrence like Trump deliberated.
B-2 bombers are the only plane capable of carrying the Massive penetratorthat experts stressed as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying the Iran metro Ford nuclear installation. Each B-2 bomber is able to transport two of these “Bunker Buster” bombs, which weigh 30,000 pounds each.
The B-2 bombers movement comes as Trump spent much of last week in the situation room, examining the attack plans and questioning those responsible for everyone’s potential consequences. The president noted that his Two -week chronology For a decision on American military participation in Iran is the “maximum” time – and that it could decide earlier.
Trump should hold a meeting with his national security team at the Oval Office on Saturday and Sunday evening. The White House did not respond to a request for comments.
Friday evening, eight Stratotankers US Air Force KC-135 took off from Altus, in Oklahoma, according to data from Flightradar24. During Kansas, the oil tankers have supplied two groups of aircraft, identified on air traffic control audio by their MyTee11 FLT and MyTee21 FLT indicatives. The turn signal MyTee has Previously been associated with Flights to special activities by B-2 and multiple bombers flight trackers On social networks, said that the planes which being supplied were B-2 bombers from the Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri.
The flight tracking data and the air traffic control audio examined by CNN show that the bombers again refuel off the coast of California and above Hawaii. Satellite imagery taken Thursday showed six KC-135 supply planes stationed in Diego Garcia, an island far from the Indian Ocean which could be used to fill up on bombers if they continue to Iran.
Betsy Klein of CNN and Annoa Abekah-Mensah contributed to this report.