Seven heavy bombers B-2, 14 GBU-57 pumps, supply aircraft, lures, more than 125 aircraft in total for 37 hours of mission … The operation of “midnight hammer” carried out by the United States to bombard three Iranian strategic sites pushed the boundaries of the B-2 pilots involved in strikes.
Questioned by CNN, an ex-2 praises the human feat of the pilots involved in the aerial outfit, one of the longest in the history of modern aviation. “An incredible faith,” according to Melvin G. Deaile, who had control of a long -term mission in 2001, 44 hours in total, to achieve objectives in Afghanistan.
He returned to CNN to the conditions under which his mission took place 24 years ago, specifying that they have probably changed since then, such as the procedures and the available means.
The former pilot says that the crews selected for this type of missions were identified in advance, but that they were only warned with little attention. Its mission, which should not last 44 hours initially, extended due to a given order to make a second bomb.
Cher, rudimentary comfort
To prepare as well as possible for the resistance necessary for this type of mission, the United States Air Force retiree had trained in a long -term simulator, to plan vigil and sleep cycles.
He explains that during the mission, the two crew members must be in their position during the critical phases, supplies in flight, bombing, landing, but that at the intervals, can rest on a small bed bed behind the seats. The old pilot indicates that these intermittent naps could last “three or four hours.”
Depending on the mission, it could be more or less easy to fall asleep, especially when the plane’s trajectory follows that of the sun, which disturbs the circadian rhythm and modifies the perception of drowsiness. “But we end up falling asleep, because the body needs it,” Melvin G. Deaile admits.
On the other hand, to remain completely alert and awake when the mission required, the former pilot reveals to having used amphetamines, whose use was authorized by the United States Air Force Health Service, specifying that his experience does not necessarily reflect that of the crews they stole last weekend.
Another physical restriction: urine. The altitude of the plane and the pressurization of the cabin tend to dehydrate, so that the consumption of water and the high, and therefore, naturally caused the need to urinate. For this, two solutions were offered: chemical toilets on the back, but also pockets to be urinated that contain cat garbage.
The B-2, a legendary plane
The heavy Bombardier of Northrop Grumman appeared for the first time in 1988, six months before his inaugural flight in the summer of 1989. Whiteman’s base in Missouri is the only operational base of American B-2.
Its flying wing shape makes it a stealthy plane and your wait allows you to take conventional and nuclear weapons. He is the only one capable of transporting the “MOP” GBU-57 (mass orientation penetrator), whose performance allows several tens of meters to penetrate the basement.
The current B-2 fleet would be composed of 18 aircraft, according to Flightglobal data. He was first deployed in operation during the Kosovo War in 1999, then in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
Source: BFM TV
