The US, China, and Russia Are Now in a Stealth Bomber Development War
by Yang Nakgyu
Published 15 Aug.2020 09:00(KST)
Updated 26 Sep.2022 15:43(KST)
Urgent Development of Stealth Strategic Bomber, One of the 3 Major Strategic Weapons
Faster Attack Models Targeted; Reintroduction of New Cold War Era if US, China, Russia Develop
Faster Attack Models Targeted; Reintroduction of New Cold War Era if US, China, Russia Develop
[Monthly Aviation Editor-in-Chief Kim Jae-han]The world's three major military powers?the United States, Russia, and China?are fiercely competing in the development of strategic bombers. Strategic bombers are one of the three major strategic weapons capable of launching nuclear weapons, alongside ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) bases and nuclear-powered submarines. They are among the most destructive weapons capable of threatening adversaries. In particular, the strategic bombers being developed by these three countries are expected to be stealthier, faster, and equipped with more lethal armaments compared to existing strategic bombers, signaling the advent of a new Cold War era.
▲The U.S. B-21 Set for First Flight Next Year= The United States currently possesses over 160 bombers, including the B-2 stealth bomber, B-52, and B-1B, maintaining the world's most powerful bomber force. The U.S. regards these strategic bombers as core assets for executing its defense strategy and is focusing heavily on the development of the B-21 program.
As is known, the B-21 development program aims to create a new strategic bomber for future U.S. Air Force operations. It is the largest development project currently underway by the U.S. Air Force. According to the Air Force, the B-21 will have extremely advanced stealth capabilities, allowing it to penetrate areas with sophisticated air defense systems. It can carry the B61-21 tactical nuclear bomb, known as a nuclear bunker buster, the new Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) cruise missile, and various conventional bombs.
Development began in February 2016, with prototype production currently underway, and the first flight is expected around next year. According to current plans, about 100 units will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force from the mid-2020s to the mid-2030s, replacing both the B-1B and B-2 bombers.
United States - B-21 development program is the largest project pursued by the U.S. Air Force
Russia - Prototype production expected to complete as early as next year... First flight in 2020
China - Model equipped with hypersonic missiles revealed development in 2016
▲Russia's Counterpart to the U.S. B-21: PAK DA= Russia is developing a stealth strategic bomber known as the PAK DA (Perspective Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation). Prototype production reportedly began in earnest last May, with plans to complete the prototype by next year and conduct the first flight as early as late next year or early 2022. Operational deployment is expected to start around 2028-2029, replacing the currently operated Tu-22M3M, Tu-95MS, and Tu-160M2 bombers.
According to Russian local media, the PAK DA will have a flying wing design similar to the U.S. Air Force's B-2 bomber, with the wings comprising most of the fuselage. It will incorporate the latest aviation technologies and materials to significantly reduce radar cross-section (RCS). Its flight range is expected to reach 12,000 km, with an endurance of up to 30 hours.
Its armament will include missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, as well as currently used or future-developed cruise missiles. Notably, the PAK DA is expected to carry the Kh-47M ballistic missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead and strike targets over 2,000 km away at hypersonic speeds reaching Mach 10.
▲China's H-20 Threatening U.S. Pacific Strategy= China's next-generation stealth strategic bomber, the H-20, was officially announced in 2016. It is a stealth strategic bomber similar in appearance to the U.S. Air Force's B-2 and B-21, as well as Russia's PAK-DA. According to recent reports, the H-20 bomber is expected to carry CJ-20 and DF-10 series nuclear-capable cruise missiles capable of striking targets 1,500 to 2,000 km away, along with conventional missiles, bombs, and hypersonic stealth missiles.
China plans to deploy the H-20 operationally from the mid-2020s to strengthen its "Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2AD)" strategy over the Pacific region, particularly along the first island chain (Okinawa-Taiwan-Philippines-Malaysia) and the second island chain (Japan-Guam-Saipan-Indonesia). Experts predict that the H-20's range of over 8,500 km will allow it to strike targets beyond the second island chain, including Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and other countries, after taking off from mainland China.
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