CNN is reporting that the 6 B-2 “Spirit” Long-Range Strategic Stealth Bombers with the 509th Bomb Wing, which arrived recently at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, are being used for strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen.
In addition to the 6 B-2 “Spirit” Long-Range Strategic Stealth Bombers at Diego Garcia, CNN reports that the U.S. Navy and Air Force is utilizing AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW), and Ship-launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) against the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen.
The cost of the operation is reported to be nearing $1 Billion in less than three weeks, as officials state that the strikes have had only a “limited impact” on the Houthis’ military capabilities, with them continuing to launch both ballistic/cruise missiles and drones at U.S. naval vessels in the Red Sea as well as at Israel.
The large-scale operation is also said to have rattled some officials at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), who have complained in recent days and weeks about the large number of long-range munitions being expended by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) against the Houthis, particularly the JASSMs and Tomahawks. Those weapons would be critical in the event of a war with China, and military planners at INDOPACOM are concerned that the CENTCOM operation could have a negative impact on U.S. military readiness in the Pacific.
