1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:11,989 --> 00:00:14,100 Welcome to Acquiring Minds , where we 3 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:16,322 examine the impact of space acquisition 4 00:00:16,322 --> 00:00:18,829 on our nation's war fighters . Today 5 00:00:18,829 --> 00:00:20,940 we're highlighting Operation Midnight 6 00:00:20,940 --> 00:00:23,840 Hammer on June 22nd , 6 United States 7 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,270 Air Force B-2 stealth bombers flew over 8 00:00:26,270 --> 00:00:28,437 the remote mountains of western Iran . 9 00:00:28,540 --> 00:00:30,760 Their target was the 4 . Uranium 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,759 enrichment site , a multi-layered 11 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,020 bunker buried 300 ft underground . This 12 00:00:36,020 --> 00:00:38,242 would be the first US deployment of the 13 00:00:38,242 --> 00:00:41,619 GBU 57 , a 30,000 pound massive 14 00:00:41,619 --> 00:00:43,500 ordinance penetrator capable of 15 00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:45,819 tunneling through rock , reinforced 16 00:00:45,819 --> 00:00:48,939 concrete , and even armored steel . B-2 17 00:00:48,939 --> 00:00:51,259 pilots would fly 18 hours with mid-air 18 00:00:51,259 --> 00:00:53,490 refueling to reach Iranian airspace 19 00:00:53,490 --> 00:00:55,601 before releasing their bunker busting 20 00:00:55,601 --> 00:00:57,546 ordinance on the intended target . 21 00:00:57,546 --> 00:00:59,434 Their aim was true , reaching the 22 00:00:59,434 --> 00:01:01,379 buried facility's main ventilation 23 00:01:01,379 --> 00:01:03,490 shafts from an airborne position some 24 00:01:03,490 --> 00:01:05,830 30,000 ft above ground . The 25 00:01:05,830 --> 00:01:07,774 coordinated attack also included a 26 00:01:07,774 --> 00:01:09,774 barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles 27 00:01:09,774 --> 00:01:11,774 launched by US Navy assets from the 28 00:01:11,774 --> 00:01:14,559 Arabian Sea some 400 miles away . This 29 00:01:14,559 --> 00:01:16,670 massive display of war fighting power 30 00:01:16,670 --> 00:01:18,726 was executed by the joint force with 31 00:01:18,726 --> 00:01:21,059 exacting coordination , pinpoint timing , 32 00:01:21,059 --> 00:01:23,170 and precision targeting through space 33 00:01:23,170 --> 00:01:25,389 enabled capabilities acquired by Space 34 00:01:25,389 --> 00:01:27,319 Systems Command . Intelligence , 35 00:01:27,430 --> 00:01:29,208 surveillance and reconnaissance 36 00:01:29,208 --> 00:01:31,374 satellites provided overhead imagery . 37 00:01:31,559 --> 00:01:33,781 Weather satellites informed the mission 38 00:01:33,781 --> 00:01:35,989 go , no go decision . Communication 39 00:01:35,989 --> 00:01:38,589 satellites provided secure jam proof 40 00:01:38,589 --> 00:01:41,029 communications and GPS satellites 41 00:01:41,029 --> 00:01:43,085 guided weapons to their targets with 42 00:01:43,085 --> 00:01:45,307 precision accuracy . Without the battle 43 00:01:45,307 --> 00:01:47,418 space awareness , command and control 44 00:01:47,418 --> 00:01:49,085 and communications , position 45 00:01:49,085 --> 00:01:51,196 navigation and timing , space sensing 46 00:01:51,196 --> 00:01:53,196 and ground capabilities for our war 47 00:01:53,196 --> 00:01:55,140 fighters and the joint forces , we 48 00:01:55,140 --> 00:01:57,362 would not be able to carry out missions 49 00:01:57,362 --> 00:01:59,418 like Operation Midnight Hammer . The 50 00:01:59,418 --> 00:02:01,751 capabilities allowed our joint force to . 51 00:02:01,751 --> 00:02:03,529 There were 14 massive ordinance 52 00:02:03,529 --> 00:02:05,751 penetrators on a target over 7000 miles 53 00:02:05,751 --> 00:02:07,807 away meeting our national objectives 54 00:02:07,807 --> 00:02:10,080 with no loss of American life and very 55 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,358 little collateral damage on the ground . 56 00:02:12,358 --> 00:02:14,580 From the bravery of our service members 57 00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:16,469 to the advanced technology of our 58 00:02:16,469 --> 00:02:18,691 weaponry , the unseen thread that pulls 59 00:02:18,691 --> 00:02:20,858 it all together is space and the space 60 00:02:20,858 --> 00:02:22,802 enabled capabilities that make our 61 00:02:22,802 --> 00:02:24,913 joint force the world's most powerful 62 00:02:24,913 --> 00:02:26,320 and mighty . Yeah .