Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Striking Iran's Nuclear Facilities

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:   / 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:   / 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