Did you see the news about the B-2 bomber flying into the heart of an Iranian nuclear facility, striking it with a bunker buster, and then returning to the U.S. mainland?

While we usually take 11-14 hours to fly to Korea, the B-2 is said to be airborne for a whopping 37 hours.

When you hear about such operations, you might think, "Is this a game?" But the U.S. Air Force actually does this in real life.

And the funny thing is, it's done by humans.

Not AI, but just two U.S. Air Force pilots taking turns sleeping and flying.

The star of the show is the B-2 Spirit, the famous stealth bomber that the U.S. takes pride in.

It looks like a UFO from outer space, and if you calculate it properly, each one costs about $2.2 billion.

Considering that a Mercedes S-Class we occasionally see on the road costs around $120,000 to $130,000... the price of one B-2 Spirit could buy 16,923 Mercedes S-Class cars at $130,000 each. Some say it's worth its weight in gold... If one of these crashes, it would be like 16,000 Mercedes S-Class cars getting totaled in an accident... In other words, it's a massive tax burden for the U.S. government. Haha 

But once it takes off, it can fly halfway around the globe. Moreover, it's designed for in-flight refueling, allowing it to receive fuel mid-air while flying to Iran, strike the nuclear facility, say, "Hey, take care!" and return to the U.S. The round trip takes 37 hours. It's a distance that could break anyone's body, aircraft, and mental state.

Now, here comes the really exciting part about the pilots.

The pilots involved in this operation are on a high-stakes mission where they risk their lives. As soon as they arrive at work, they train for several hours in a simulator, take a sleeping pill handed to them by a doctor, and then catch a quick nap before flying.

In the cockpit, the two pilots take turns sleeping. But is there a separate bed? Not at all. They just sit behind the cockpit and sleep a bit. As they alternate sleeping, the time for in-flight refueling comes, and they have to fly carefully to avoid radar as they enter the combat zone. The funny thing is, during refueling, the fuel pipe isn't visible from the cockpit. "It's done by feel." That's right. They rely on their fingertips to connect the aircraft. It's like trying to pour water into a coffee cup while blindfolded.

And being human, they naturally get hungry, sleepy, and need to use the restroom. The problem is, there's a mini chemical toilet behind the cockpit, but it has no partition, and even though it's supposed to block odors, no one uses it for fear of overflow. Instead, they wear pad diapers. Just adult diapers. Colonel Dial, who was interviewed in the news, famously said, "To avoid dehydration due to pressure issues, I drink a bottle of water every hour and calculate the time based on the filling of the urine bag." It's truly a scene of human triumph.

As for food... of course, there are no crew members, so they eat combat rations. However, they say they don't eat much.

Spending dozens of hours sitting in a hard seat on a long flight makes it nearly impossible to eat properly. They barely manage to supplement their energy with gum or chocolate.

And when they feel sleepy, they take stimulants. They used to take amphetamines known as 'go pills,' but regulations may have changed since then. However, what they ultimately need during the operation is mental strength rather than stimulants. They endure by thinking, "I'm flying an incredibly expensive aircraft, striking a nuclear facility, and I have to return."

At Whiteman Air Force Base, psychologists are even stationed. They check on the pilots before missions, asking, "How are you feeling today?" and "Did you talk to your mom?" to help manage their mental state. At this point, the pilots might seem like superheroes, and in reality, they are almost that. However, even superheroes wear diapers. That's the reality.

To summarize, this operation is a combination of aerial tactics + human limits + diapers.

We usually get back pain after a 4-hour flight and are busy looking for a restroom after drinking coffee. But these people complete their mission in the sky for 37 hours without landing anywhere.

Next time you see a picture of the B-2, before saying, "Wow, stealth is cool," think to yourself.

"There must be a pilot wearing a diaper inside..."