The first indications of an eastern trajectory for the U.S. B-2 bombers that struck Iranian nuclear facilities emerged on June 22 at 03:35 UTC, when six KC-135 refueling planes were detected west of Chania, at the Souda Air Base located on Crete island.

Earlier, on June 21 at 22:13 local time in Oklahoma (03:13 UTC), a KC-135 Stratotanker took off from Altus Air Force Base, joining a broader refueling operation that supported stealth B-2 bombers.

Refueling Aircraft Operated from Souda

Several of the refueling aircraft supporting the B-2s operated out of Souda Bay, with key phases of the operation involving air-to-air refueling over the central Mediterranean. According to itamilradar.com, between June 15 and 17, significant movement of U.S. tanker aircraft was recorded across Europe — including from Lajes, Morón, and Souda Bay.

Three KC-135 aircraft — with tail numbers 63-7985, 58-0069, and 60-0349 — reportedly flew missions over the central Mediterranean with ADS-B transponders turned off and returned to Souda around 05:00 CEST, aligning with the estimated path and return window of the B-2s.

The Chaniotika Nea newspaper confirmed: “Souda base was used for refueling purposes in the early morning U.S. strike on Iran. According to sources, between three and six KC-135 refueling aircraft took off from Souda and fueled the B-2 bombers, and possibly fighter jets as well. Activity at the Souda base was intense during this period, with flights clearly noticed by residents of Akrotiri and Apokoronas.”

The Deception Operation

The operation also involved a major deception maneuver. While the world’s attention was drawn westward — as U.S. tanker aircraft flew toward Missouri and California — the actual strike force was moving eastward, avoiding detection by refraining from emitting any ADS-B or Mode S signals. In total, seven B-2 bombers and dozens of tankers participated in the mission.

A second wave of ten more refueling aircraft (KC-135 and KC-46) was later detected northeast of the Azores, after being transferred to Lajes Field in Portugal.

A “Ghost” Operation

Throughout the mission, none of the B-2 aircraft appeared on public flight tracking systems — a testament to the Pentagon’s use of stealth tactics, radio silence, and electronic warfare.

As Flightradar24 notes, military aircraft only emit tracking signals when they choose to — and this time, they chose not to.

From the Mediterranean, Not the Midwest

While the international community was busy monitoring tankers over the U.S. Midwest, the real strike was launched from the Mediterranean, without any digital trace. The combination of electronic deception, geographic dispersion, and silent approach reflects the meticulous planning behind Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.

Source: In.gr