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Israel’s Search for a Used B-52
Clarity with Michael Oren ^ | June 19, 2025 | Michael Oren

Posted on 06/20/2025 7:08:16 AM PDT by Red Badger

The war with Iran proves once again the importance for Israel to have an American strategic bomber as part of the Israeli Air Force's aircraft arsenal.

B-52 Stratofortress Strategic Bomber

The war with Iran proves once again the importance for Israel to have an American strategic bomber as part of the Israeli Air Force's aircraft arsenal. Twice, in 2013, during my tenure as Ambassador in Washington, and later, as a Member of Knesset in 2018, I asked the United States to sell us a strategic bomber. I understood that the U.S. would not be willing to sell us one of their advanced B-1 or B-2 stealth aircraft, but I hoped that they would be willing to part with a Cold War era B-52.

The reason for my initiative was simple. Some day, I knew, Israel would act to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. To achieve that, Israel would have to destroy Iranian enrichment sites, especially numbers of which were heavily fortified and embedded underground. Most challenging was the formerly secret Fordow facility, exposed by Israeli and American intelligence and revealed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2009, which was situated hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the mountain.

The Israeli Air Force, armed exclusively with F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets all with relatively short ranges and limited payloads, were incapable of carrying the 30,000 pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator which alone could destroy Fordow. The B-52 bomber, flying at a height of 50,000 feet—twice the altitude of a commercial airliner—was beyond the reach of Iran’s air defenses.

By selling us even one B-52, I told White House officials, the United States would be sending an unequivocal message to the Iranian regime regarding America’s commitment to preventing Iran from producing nuclear bombs.

From the Obama Administration, my request was met with an emphatic “no.” From the first Trump Administration, the answer was "It’s an interesting idea, we’ll think about it.” In reply, I suggested that instead of selling us a plane, the Americans lease one to us. But the response was once again negative. So, too, was their reaction to my final request that an Israeli Air Force crew be able to train on a B-52 just in case one became available.

Today, with the Fordow facility intact, my attempts to procure the means for Israel to destroy it seem justified. Had we possessed even one strategic bomber Israel would not be in the position of wondering whether the United States will perform the task for us. We would mitigate the claims, now being made by both the left and the right in the United States, that Israel is dragging America into another endless Middle Eastern war.

Just as the Biden Administration’s decision not to supply us with certain types of ammunition convinced the Israelis of the need to produce our own artillery shells and tanks, so too must the current war in Iran convince us of the need to develop our own strategic air capabilities. While we greatly appreciate the support we have received and will undoubtedly continue to receive from the Trump Administration, Israel must always strive to be able to defend itself, on its own, against any threat in the Middle East.

This article has been modified from a piece published in Hebrew on YNET.

https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/r1k00mognee


TOPICS: Government; History; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: b52; biden; bombers; fordo; fordow; iaf; mop; nuclearreactor; obama; penetrator; strategicbomber; trump
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To: Red Badger

There’s a whole bunch of B-52s lying around in the Davis-Monthan AFB boneyard in Tucson. Might need a little fixing up.


21 posted on 06/20/2025 7:38:29 AM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: V_TWIN

If you want peace, prepare for war.

We should have sold B52’s to everyone.............


22 posted on 06/20/2025 7:41:42 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: FreedomNotSafety

A DC10 Air Tanker might be a good candidate, you already have the makings of a bomb bay in the aircraft’s belly. Depending on how many gallons of water is held in that bay, a 30,000 lb bomb may not be too heavy. You’d probably just need to make modifications to hold, and release the bomb


23 posted on 06/20/2025 7:43:08 AM PDT by Antihero101607
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To: higgmeister

Toured inside a Vulcan in a museum. Spectacularly beautiful aircraft. I think it’s max payload was well below a B-52 (50k LBs of conventional) though, potentially 25,000 pounds. I suppose if it wasn’t carrying a full fuel load they could push closer to 35,000. That might not be enough for a really big bunker buster bomb though.


24 posted on 06/20/2025 7:44:54 AM PDT by Pete Dovgan
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To: HartleyMBaldwin

Sure, a piece here, a piece there...

I got it one piece at a time
And it didn’t cost me a dime
You’ll know it’s me when I come through your town
I’m gonna ride around in style
I’m gonna drive everybody wild
‘Cause I’ll have the only one there is around


25 posted on 06/20/2025 7:46:12 AM PDT by Semper Vigilantis (Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.)
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To: Vermont Lt

I used to work for a company that manufactured aircraft parts.

Everything on a B52 was on old paper drawings. Thousands of drawings. Now they could be computerized and would fit in a thumb drive.....


26 posted on 06/20/2025 7:46:18 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: iamgalt

The Dark Web (ominous music)


27 posted on 06/20/2025 7:46:20 AM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Wake up, smell the cat food in your bank account. )
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To: Red Badger
” B-52 bomber, flying at a height of 50,000 feet—twice the altitude of a commercial airliner—was beyond the reach of Iran’s air defenses.

False, false, and for good measure, false.

28 posted on 06/20/2025 7:46:25 AM PDT by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis! Trump & Vance, 2024! (Formerly) Goldwater & Thomas Sowell.k and Trump <p>)
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To: Red Badger

If they can launch satellites into space they could put a directable tungsten rod or 2 into space and try blasting the site that way!


29 posted on 06/20/2025 7:48:45 AM PDT by mdmathis6 (A horrible historic indictment: Biden Democrats plunging the world into war to hide their crimes!)
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To: GenXPolymath

There appears to be a number of C-141s at Davis-Monthan.


30 posted on 06/20/2025 7:48:48 AM PDT by Temujinshordes
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To: Red Badger

I doubt seriously that 50,000 feet is clear of current SAM reach
Not with impunity anyhow


31 posted on 06/20/2025 7:48:57 AM PDT by wardaddy ( The Blob must be bled dry)
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To: V_TWIN
What’s wrong with the US going ahead and flying a B-2 over there and just doing a few passes over Tehran?

You better brush up on your flying skills. Thank you for volunteering.

32 posted on 06/20/2025 7:51:01 AM PDT by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis! Trump & Vance, 2024! (Formerly) Goldwater & Thomas Sowell.k and Trump <p>)
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To: Red Badger

Too bad all of the Antonov’s are dust. That would be poetic justice.


33 posted on 06/20/2025 7:53:14 AM PDT by P8riot (You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.)
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To: Red Badger

Can they build the bunker bomb that large?

Can you imagine trying to protect a B-52 from a drone attack in a country the size of Israel?


34 posted on 06/20/2025 7:53:29 AM PDT by alternatives?
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To: FreedomNotSafety

“It would have been a huge task but if anyone could do it the Israelis could. Convert a civilian jet liner. “

The P8 is a Boeing 737 with a bomb bay under it. The Israelis have a number of 767ER in their fleet of VIP aircraft and the National airline. They could with time mod one like the P8 with a bomb bay 767s carry 40+ tonnes max payload over 3500+ miles you can lay down a lot of hurt with 40 tonnes of boom.

The problem is time, they don’t.have it. The USA is going to take out frodow there will be much gnashing of teeth by the isolationists but they will get over it. Iran will never be allowed to have a nuke.period.full.stop. If that means we have to bomb them fine they have been in warfare against us since 1979 this is just the final battle of that war. The mullahs must be eliminated this is that battle right now. The fight for Western civilization is happening like it or not.


35 posted on 06/20/2025 7:54:15 AM PDT by GenXPolymath
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To: Red Badger

Mr. Amb,
Being an American Jew and Amb to Israel is akin to having dual citizenship.

You know it it takes an oximoran like you to write such drivel for public consumption.

My wife was once the Arrow Field Office Manager and from what we know you don’t need a US bomber to handle this job.

In fact I am surprised Trump is extracting a heavy price for services normally provided without question.

Could it be that Israel too believed no Republican would ever be president again after Biden, and that IQ failure to protect the Donald is now coming back to haunt Israel.

The Liberal Jew needs to meet the normal Jew and sell their lost souls to the devil this time.

If Israel needs this American President’s assistance... you must give up some secret information and give up some anti-Trumpers’ and reaffirm your principles and committment to a US not in the clutches of a deep state.

Simple cocktail party small talk will not do.

MAGA needs heads to roll. Once that happens and safeguards are in place to prevent another deep state tskeover of our countries, we will bail you out.


36 posted on 06/20/2025 7:57:16 AM PDT by Jumper
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To: Wallace T.
We should do what we did for Britain during Lend Lease. Send the planes to Israel, take off the USAF insignia, and replace it with IDF insignia.

Israel has a nasty habit of transferring U.S. military technology to Communist China. Although the B-52s are old, the technology in the B-52s isn’t.

37 posted on 06/20/2025 7:59:15 AM PDT by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis! Trump & Vance, 2024! (Formerly) Goldwater & Thomas Sowell.k and Trump <p>)
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To: thegagline

C31

If this writer is this uninformed makes me figure it’s just agit prop generated by the usuals


38 posted on 06/20/2025 7:59:26 AM PDT by wardaddy ( The Blob must be bled dry)
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To: Temujinshordes

I think you are referencing the C5A death Star Lifter;)


39 posted on 06/20/2025 8:01:07 AM PDT by Jumper
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To: Jumper

I think the whole purpose of having a B-52 is so you won’t ever have to use it................


40 posted on 06/20/2025 8:02:33 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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