B-2 Spirits Deployed To Diego Garcia Have Been Striking Houthi Targets In Yemen

The U.S. Air Force has used B-2A Spirit stealth bombers to attack Houthi targets in Yemen during the recent campaign against the rebel group, a U.S. official told The War Zone. That campaign began March 15 with a series of aviation and missile strikes against the Iranian-backed group. You can read more about the deployment of B-2s to the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia here.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details, declined to say how many of these aircraft were used, how often or when. The confirmation however, provides more context about the collection of these jets on Diego Garcia. CNN was the first to report that B-2s from that island attacked the Houthis.

Last week, a large force of B-2 Spirit bombers and other supporting assets deployed to Diego Garcia, which TWZ was first to report on. The latest satellite imagery, dated April 2nd, obtained by The War Zone from the Planet Labs archive shows at least six B-2s and six KC-135s on the remote island.

PHOTO © 2025 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION

The unprecedented stealth bomber deployment comes amid growing U.S. threats to the regime in Tehran, as well as stepped-up strikes on their Houthi proxies in Yemen. The Air Force only has 20 of the stealth bombers in total, meaning 30 percent of the entire fleet is now forward-deployed in the Indian Ocean. Factoring in that only a portion of the B-2 fleet is available for operational tasking at any one time due to maintenance and other factors, this represents a far higher percentage of the bombers that the Air Force has to actually send out on missions.

Given that the B-2 is currently the only U.S. aircraft certified to operationally employ the 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs. The Houthis have an extensive network of underground facilities that the MOP may be needed to strike. Each B-2 can carry two of these huge weapons.

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber dropping a 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb. (USAF)

It is unknown if MOPS have actually been deployed against the Houthis. The official we spoke with did not know. As we previously noted, the MOP itself provides a unique conventional weapon for prosecuting especially deep targets, such as ones associated with Iran’s nuclear and long-range missile programs. TWZ has previously highlighted the signals that B-2s, in particular, send to the regime in Tehran, including after the stealth bombers were used in strikes against the Houthis in Yemen last year.

Despite the ongoing campaign against them, the Houthis have managed to shoot down several MQ-9 Reaper drones during this latest campaign and many more prior to it. While their air defenses may be rudimentary, they are still a threat.

Losing a crewed aircraft over Houthi-controlled territory could be very problematic and put many other lives as risk during a recovery operation. This is why we have been seeing Navy fighters employ standoff munitions, especially AGM-154 JSOWs and AGM-84K SLAM-ERs against certain Houthi targets. Navy vessels have also been firing off Tomahawks, as well. With this in mind, the B-2’s air defense penetrating capabilities, paired with their massive weapons load, could allow for large scale direct attacks on even the most well-defended and physically fortified Houthi sites.

All this comes as the U.S. is building up forces in the region ahead of a potential strike against Iran. In addition to the B-2s, F-35s and A-10s have been surged to the region. The Vinson Aircraft Carrier Strike group is also heading to the Middle East from the Pacific to join the Truman Carrier Strike Group, which saw its deployment extended.

President Donald Trump has given Iran until May to come to the negotiating table in regards to its nuclear program and the Iranians have given mixed signals about whether they will negotiate in person or through a third party or comply at all. You can read more about the prospects for war against Iran in our deep dive here.

While there is no way knowing what will happen next, now we know that the B-2s arrayed on Diego Garcia are not just there as a show of force, they are actively participating in the air campaign against the Houthis

Contact the author: [email protected]