Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Striking Iran's Nuclear Facilities
Afterburn Defense
87,019 views
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible.
Part three covers the mission to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
Recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, this series preserves the experiences of the people who were there, in their own words.
This is Part 3 of a 3-part series.
Part I: Operation Midnight Hammer | Part 1: Before...
Part II: Operation Midnight Hammer | Part II - The ...
Part III: Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Str...
Have a story? https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/
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Podcast:
Afterburn Podcast: @afterburnpodcastshow
Apple: https://apple.co/4d3EKFM
Spotify: https://bit.ly/TAP_on_Spotify
Social Media:
Rain ‘s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainwaters2...
Flash’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeflashmc...
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Sponsors:
Become a Pilot: https://bit.ly/Bogi_Dope
AFOQT Wingman: https://bit.ly/AirForce_TestPrep (“AFTERBURN” for Discount)
Recommendations:
Books/DCS Gear: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m
0:00 Intro - F-16s Push Into Iran
2:05 Mission Planning Chaos Before the Strike
5:46 Maintenance and Logistics Behind Midnight Hammer
6:42 Employing Over Iranian Airspace
14:19 Egress and the Run for the Border
16:47 The F-16 Wild Weasels Made It Home
20 Comments
She would look toward the sky and count them as they came back. Sometimes, only one aircraft would return. Her heart would sink because she knew what that meant.
Then she would see my dad. She would run to him, hug him, and cry—overwhelmed with relief that her husband had made it home, but heartbroken knowing that one of his wingmen had not.
That was the reality they lived with every mission: praying for everyone to come home, grateful when my dad returned safely, but never forgetting those who didn’t.
Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Striking Iran's Nuclear Facilities
Afterburn Defense
87,019 views
Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible.
Part three covers the mission to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
Recorded between December 2025 and January 2026, this series preserves the experiences of the people who were there, in their own words.
This is Part 3 of a 3-part series.
Part I: Operation Midnight Hammer | Part 1: Before...
Part II: Operation Midnight Hammer | Part II - The ...
Part III: Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Str...
Have a story? https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/
Afterburn Links:
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LowdownNews
Website: https://bit.ly/Afterburn_Website
Merch: https://bit.ly/AfterburnMerch
Patreon: Patreon: theafterburnpodcast
Podcast:
Afterburn Podcast: @afterburnpodcastshow
Apple: https://apple.co/4d3EKFM
Spotify: https://bit.ly/TAP_on_Spotify
Social Media:
Rain ‘s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainwaters2...
Flash’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeflashmc...
Afterburn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterburnpo...
Facebook: Facebook: afterburnpodcast
X: https://x.com/AfterburnPod
Sponsors:
Become a Pilot: https://bit.ly/Bogi_Dope
AFOQT Wingman: https://bit.ly/AirForce_TestPrep (“AFTERBURN” for Discount)
Recommendations:
Books/DCS Gear: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m
0:00 Intro - F-16s Push Into Iran
2:05 Mission Planning Chaos Before the Strike
5:46 Maintenance and Logistics Behind Midnight Hammer
6:42 Employing Over Iranian Airspace
14:19 Egress and the Run for the Border
16:47 The F-16 Wild Weasels Made It Home
Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso
Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY