Recently, everyone has been focusing on China's stealth bomber, the H-20, but a massive drone called "Attack-X" has also emerged. This suddenly makes people wonder: with such a powerful unmanned "bomb truck," what is the H-20 for? Is it going to be phased out? The answer is: in future air warfare, it's not about who has a "star product," but who can form a "super team" with clear division of labor and seamless cooperation!

The relationship between the H-20 and Attack-X is by no means a "life-or-death" competition, but rather they will together build the "nerve center" and "agile claws" for future aerial supremacy.

Let's talk about the drone "Attack-X": how revolutionary is it? We have to admit that this drone is truly amazing: it is a "never-sleeping" hunter: it can hover in the sky for dozens of hours without anyone piloting it. It can set up an invisible "no-fly zone" over critical straits, truly achieving "waiting for you all the time, hitting you as soon as you show your head." It is also a "high-level expendable": it can enter the most dangerous air defense areas to perform the "door-kicking" mission. Because there is no risk of pilot casualties, it is more politically and cost-effective. It is the ideal consumable for high-risk missions.

It is also a "fear of refueling" patient: yes, the endurance capability of this large-winged drone might be terrifying, allowing it to fly across the Western Pacific and even further without any problem, matching manned bombers without any inferiority.

So the question arises: where is the "divine position" of the H-20? Since Attack-X has such excellent endurance and striking power, the core value of the H-20 cannot just be that of a "bomb carrier." It needs to upgrade - becoming the "commander-in-chief" and "pillar of stability" of the entire system.

Firstly, it is a national treasure: the "physical guarantee" for nuclear deterrence. This is a hurdle that drones can never cross. When it comes to strategic nuclear deterrence, which involves life-or-death decisions, someone must take responsibility. The H-20, as a manned strategic bomber, is the physical symbol of the nation's will. With a pilot inside, nuclear deterrence becomes serious and credible. This political responsibility is something that even current AI cannot bear in the short term.

Secondly, it is the "nervous system" and "mother ship" in the air. The most important role of the future H-20 is to act as the "brain" of the aerial combat network. You can imagine: an H-20 leisurely strolling in relatively safe skies, while directing several Attack-X and Attack-11 drones to conduct reconnaissance, jamming, or even launching drone swarms. The H-20, with its powerful computing and command systems, becomes the center of the entire distributed kill chain, while the drone swarms are its sensitive extensions and deadly fists.

Finally, it is a firefighter for "black swan" events. The human pilot gives the H-20 a superpower that drones do not have: the ability to respond on the spot. If communication is cut, the electromagnetic environment is chaotic, or if there is a sudden major political change, human intuition, understanding, and the courage to take responsibility are irreplaceable by AI. In the case of unexpected "troublemakers" (black swan events), only a pilot can make the most appropriate response aligned with the country's highest strategic intentions.

When they work together, their killing power soars to the sky: a one-stop "intelligence-command-strike" process: Attack-X conducts long-term reconnaissance in front, transmitting data in real-time back to the H-20, which quickly integrates the data, assigns tasks, and then directs the most suitable platform to deliver a fatal strike. Of course, the attack task could be carried out by another Attack-X, or it could be a long-range missile launched by the H-20 itself.

"Saturation attack" combination punch: The H-20 as the commander coordinates a large number of "cost-effective and easy-to-use" drones to launch multi-dimensional attacks from all directions, overwhelming the enemy's air defense system and causing decision paralysis. "Task 'magic switch': The H-20 can act as an "airborne ammunition depot" for heavy munitions and long-range missiles, while the Attack-X swarm focuses on stealth breakthroughs and precise hunting. Seamless switching of task functions, creating an operation with astonishing flexibility.

China's Air Force upgrade is no longer just about pursuing how high or fast a single aircraft can fly, but rather building a "highly flexible and intelligent" kill ecosystem. The emergence of "Attack-X" as a "shadow monster" has not made the H-20 obsolete, but instead redefined its role - it will be the "wise brain" and "strategic soul" that is indispensable within this ecosystem.

One is visible, the other is hidden; one is wise, the other is brave. The combination of the H-20 and Attack-X is the strongest evidence of the Chinese Air Force's transition from a "tactical air force" to a "strategic air force." This strong collaboration between "manned" and "unmanned" is completely rewriting the rules of future air warfare.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7564219777787511338/

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