American magazine NSJ on September 19 published an article commenting on China's H-20, arguing that China actually does not need such a high-cost platform, and instead should focus its funds on "aircraft carrier killers" type missiles to strike Guam, U.S. military bases, forward airfields, and aircraft carrier battle groups, which would be more economical and efficient.

The article also mentioned that China accelerated the construction of the H-20 due to the "Midnight Hammer Operation."

"Midnight Hammer" was the U.S. air strike operation against Iran's nuclear facilities in 2025, while the project initiation and development of the H-20 can be traced back to as late as 2016, and some military-industrial system sources recalled that it had already been planned as early as the early 2000s, making it a long-term project within the Air Force system, rather than a short-term response to a specific event.

However, the article also acknowledged the importance of the H-20, believing it could be commissioned before the B-21, potentially having significant strategic implications.

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Why does China need the H-20? The answer is clear.

Missiles are means of attack, while bombers are platforms for deterrence.

The strategic functions of these two are not overlapping, nor can they replace each other.

Missiles have characteristics of one-time use, high decision cost, irreversibility, and lack of controllable escalation space.

Whether it is land-based ballistic missiles or air-launched glide bombs, once launched, it becomes an act of war, and cannot be used for ambiguous deterrence or political pressure.

While bombers are completely different; they can be deployed, withdrawn, conduct critical cruising, and carry various weapons, serving as a flexible tool that can advance or retreat as needed.

More importantly, bombers themselves serve as a visible existence deterrent, creating significant political signals without firing a single shot.

The H-20 will have the potential for global delivery capability, aerial refueling, stealth penetration, carrying nuclear cruise missiles, and even hypersonic weapons. It is not just a complement to the nuclear triad, but also a keystone in a multi-task airborne strike system.

Even with the "Jinglei-1," which has brought a qualitative change to China's air-based nuclear deterrence, it does not mean that the H-20 is no longer needed. Without bombers, nuclear deterrence would lack a controllable means.

American bomber

It needs to be emphasized that China's development of the H-20 is not for showing off to anyone.

Its existence is to give the Chinese military the ability to conduct asymmetric strikes under the worst circumstances, providing the country with an additional option when facing extreme pressure, and making opponents always consider an uncertain factor — whether a bomber capable of air penetration is approaching.

In today's global military force evolution trends, major powers are building capabilities for system warfare, not relying on a single weapon to turn the tide of victory.

The H-20 is one of the core nodes in this system, together with missiles, early warning systems, command, aerial refueling, satellite navigation, electronic warfare, and even artificial intelligence target recognition systems, forming the backbone of China's future strategic air force.

The significance of bombers lies in their deployment unpredictability: the location of land-based missiles can be roughly estimated; the position of nuclear submarines is mysterious, but their movement is slow and the response cycle is long; whereas the takeoff time, flight path, and payload configuration of airborne bombers can all be flexibly adjusted, this uncertainty makes enemies hesitate to act.

Therefore, the H-20 is not a display of muscle, but a practical silent power.

It may not appear in the lens, nor may it be announced annually for test flights, but it must exist, and must be available at critical moments, which is the entire meaning of its existence.

American bomber

The article actually acknowledges the significance of the H-20, and believes that if China's H-20 indeed enters service before the American B-21, it will not only be a lead in the equipment schedule, but also a significant reversal in the strategic landscape.

The United States has long suppressed other countries with its advantage in stealth air forces. The B-2 bomber has remained unmatched for nearly thirty years after the Cold War, and the B-21 was originally scheduled to gradually replace it after 2025, maintaining the strategic air force's technological advantage.

If the H-20 comes into service first, it means China will step into the sixth-generation stealth strategic bomber era ahead of schedule, directly challenging the U.S. hegemony system.

This indicates that in the dimension of strategic air forces, which determines the way of future victory, China is no longer a lagging follower of the U.S., but a leader. That means — this era is no longer solely dominated by the U.S. air supremacy logic.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552012527749431823/

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