{"slug":"us-military-weapons-used-against-iran-2026","title":"US Military Weapons Used Against Iran: B-2, F-35, Tomahawk & GBU-57 Explained","excerpt":"From stealth bombers to bunker busters, the US is deploying its most advanced weapons against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure. Here's what each weapon does and why it was chosen.","content":"## US Military Weapons Deployed Against Iran in 2026\n\nThe US military has deployed some of its most advanced weapons systems in operations against Iran. Here's a breakdown of each.\n\n### B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber\n\nThe star of the campaign — see [B-2 vs B-52](/compare/b-2-vs-b-52) for full comparison.\n\n| Spec | Value |\n|------|-------|\n| Type | Strategic stealth bomber |\n| Cost | $2.1 billion each |\n| Fleet Size | 20 aircraft |\n| Range | 6,000+ nautical miles |\n| Key Weapon | GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator |\n\nThe B-2 is the only aircraft that can carry the GBU-57 bunker buster and penetrate Iran's S-300 air defenses undetected.\n\n### GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)\n\n- **Weight**: 30,000 lbs (14 tons) — largest non-nuclear bomb in US inventory\n- **Penetration**: 200+ feet of earth, 60 feet of reinforced concrete\n- **Purpose**: Destroying Iran's underground nuclear facilities (Fordow, Natanz)\n- **Carrier**: Only B-2 Spirit can carry it (2 per aircraft)\n\n### F-35 Lightning II\n\nSee [F-22 vs F-35](/compare/f-22-vs-f-35) and [F-35 vs Su-57](/compare/f-35-vs-su-57).\n\n- **Role**: SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses), ISR, precision strike\n- **Advantage**: Stealth allows it to map and destroy S-300 sites\n- **Deployed from**: Land bases and USS Gerald R. Ford carrier\n\n### Tomahawk Cruise Missiles\n\n| Spec | Value |\n|------|-------|\n| Range | 1,000+ miles |\n| Speed | Subsonic (550 mph) |\n| Warhead | 1,000 lb conventional |\n| Guidance | GPS + terrain matching |\n| Launched from | Destroyers, submarines, B-52s |\n\nTomahawks are the workhorse of the campaign — hundreds launched from Arleigh Burke destroyers and Ohio-class submarines in the Persian Gulf.\n\n### B-52 Stratofortress\n\nThe 70-year-old bomber serves as a cruise missile truck — see [B-2 vs B-52](/compare/b-2-vs-b-52).\n- Carries 20 AGM-86 cruise missiles\n- Launches from outside Iranian airspace\n- Provides overwhelming volume of precision strikes\n\n### Patriot & THAAD Missile Defense\n\nDeployed to protect US bases and allies — see [Patriot vs S-300](/compare/patriot-vs-s-300).\n- **Patriot PAC-3 MSE**: Defends against Iranian ballistic missiles\n- **THAAD**: Terminal High Altitude defense, intercepts in upper atmosphere\n\n### Aircraft Carriers\n\n- **USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)**: Deployed to Persian Gulf\n- Carries 75+ aircraft including F-35C, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets\n- Protected by Aegis cruisers and destroyers with SM-3 interceptors\n\n## Conclusion\n\nThe US is leveraging technological superiority — stealth, precision guidance, and standoff weapons — to minimize risk while maximizing damage to Iran's military infrastructure. The combination of B-2 stealth with GBU-57 bunker busters represents a capability no other nation possesses.\n\n---\n\n*This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Operational details are based on publicly available information.*","category":"technology","tags":["us-military","iran","b-2","f-35","tomahawk","gbu-57","weapons","2026"],"url":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/us-military-weapons-used-against-iran-2026","publishedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","articleSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/us-military-weapons-used-against-iran-2026#article","headline":"US Military Weapons Used Against Iran: B-2, F-35, Tomahawk & GBU-57 Explained","description":"From stealth bombers to bunker busters, the US is deploying its most advanced weapons against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure. Here's what each weapon does and why it was chosen.","abstract":"From stealth bombers to bunker busters, the US is deploying its most advanced weapons against Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure. Here's what each weapon does and why it was chosen.","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/us-military-weapons-used-against-iran-2026","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/blog/us-military-weapons-used-against-iran-2026#primaryImage","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/og?title=US%20Military%20Weapons%20Used%20Against%20Iran%3A%20B-2%2C%20F-35%2C%20Tomahawk%20%26%20GBU-57%20Explained&type=blog","contentUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/og?title=US%20Military%20Weapons%20Used%20Against%20Iran%3A%20B-2%2C%20F-35%2C%20Tomahawk%20%26%20GBU-57%20Explained&type=blog","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"US Military Weapons Used Against Iran: B-2, F-35, Tomahawk & GBU-57 Explained"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/og?title=US%20Military%20Weapons%20Used%20Against%20Iran%3A%20B-2%2C%20F-35%2C%20Tomahawk%20%26%20GBU-57%20Explained&type=blog","contentReferenceTime":"2026-03-21T00:00:00.000Z","datePublished":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","dateCreated":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#website"},"keywords":"us-military, iran, b-2, f-35, tomahawk, gbu-57, weapons, 2026","articleSection":"technology","wordCount":438,"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":["h1",".article-excerpt",".article-intro","#article-summary"]},"accessMode":["textual"],"accessModeSufficient":[{"@type":"ItemList","itemListElement":["textual"]}],"isAccessibleForFree":true}}