American Think Tank: What We Know About China and Russia's New Strategic Bombers

The H-20 bomber is expected to have a range of up to 8,500 kilometers, capable of covering Japan, the Philippines, and even Guam.

As the U.S. Air Force continues to develop its next-generation B-21 stealth bomber series, gaining a deeper understanding of its nearly equivalent foreign counterparts may be significant. Moscow and Beijing are currently deploying their own bomber projects aimed at directly challenging American dominance in this field. The U.S.-made B-2 "Spirit" bomber, B-52 "Stratofortress" bomber, and B-1B "Lancer" bomber remain the cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force bomber fleet and the national air-launched nuclear deterrence strategy. If the Chinese H-20 "Xi'an" bomber or the Russian PAK-DA bomber becomes operational before the " Raider" bomber is put into service, can they compete with the existing U.S. bomber fleet?

The Chinese H-20

When the Chinese H-20 officially enters service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), it will become its first dedicated strategic bomber. Earlier this year, official Chinese media released images of a new large fighter aircraft. Although it has not been confirmed whether this mysterious aircraft is the H-20, the video shows that the large aircraft has an invisible diamond-shaped fuselage and a large central fuselage. It is stated that the plan for China's independently developed bomber series began in 2016. However, analysts believe that the PLAAF had already started the H-20 project as early as the early 21st century. Aviation experts believe that the H-20's range could reach 8,500 kilometers, which would allow China to penetrate deep into Japan, the Philippines, and even the U.S. territory of Guam.

The Russian PAK-DA Bomber

Despite Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine, it is reportedly continuing to develop its own next-generation bomber platform. The Tupolev PAK-DA bomber was jointly designed by the manufacturer Tupolev and the Russian Aerospace Forces' Long-Range Aviation. According to reports, the design phase of this strategic bomber platform was completed as early as 2019. Initially, sources predicted that the PAK-DA bomber would reach operational capability in 2027, but the pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict have undoubtedly extended this timetable. Although multiple artistic renderings of the PAK-DA bomber have been released over the years, there is very little reliable information about the bomber. From the few Russian platform images we have, some obvious features include its flying wing layout and minimized radar cross-section, similar to the U.S. B-2 "Spirit" bomber.

B-21 "Raider" Is About to Emerge

With global geopolitical tensions continuing to escalate, the timely introduction of a next-generation bomber could change the balance of aerial superiority. The U.S. Air Force is striving to introduce the B-21 "Raider" before Moscow or Beijing deploy similar bombers. From stealth performance, payload to range and avionics, the B-21 is expected to dominate the skies. Specific specifications and details of the upcoming B-21 program by the U.S. Air Force remain highly classified, but a shorter wingspan and stronger firepower will make this aircraft more advantageous than its predecessors, such as the B-2 "Spirit" bomber, B-52 "Stratofortress" bomber, and B-1B "Lancer" bomber, which are already at the top level. Only time will tell whether this bomber, designed by Northrop Grumman, can achieve operational capability before its nearly matching rivals.

Sources: The National Interest

Author: Maya Carlin

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841305626936332/

Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author."