In response to the U.S. Air Force’s recent provocation that it would “make China feel afraid”, the Chinese Air Force responded with two “not afraid”, and a hint of the H-20 bomber’s upcoming appearance. Air Force spokesperson Shen Jinke responded at the press conference of the 13th China Air Show on August 31, “Not afraid of suffering, not afraid of death” is the motto of Chinese soldiers.
He did not explicitly say that the H-20 bomber would appear, but he said the Chinese People’s Air Force has moved from the “air bayonet” to resist U.S. aggression and aid to Korea, to the “close and fast combat method” of homeland air defense to fight U-2 planes, and to police patrols in the East China Sea and battle patrols in the new era. In the South China Sea, heading out of the West Pacific, cruising around the island, flying all over the routes that have not been flown in the past, to the areas that have not been visited in the past. The Chinese Air Force will resolutely safeguard the national air and space security, and firmly safeguard the interests of national development, so as to reassure the party and the people.
Subsequently, Shen Jinke also solemnly stated that the Chinese Air Force has historically entered the threshold of a strategic air force. For a long time, the People’s Liberation Army has rarely issued an assessment of its own military strength, so once it is released, it will be more shocking. The West’s speculation about China’s military power has never stopped, either degrading or exaggerating.
For example, the U.S. military’s evaluation of the development and progress of China’s military power has been jumping back and forth from the primitive people in the Stone Age to the Zenith Stars in the Star Destroyer era. When a budget is needed, China is the Zenith Superman. When it comes to the reassurance of the American people, China is the Peking man who has made fire by digging through the woods. The Chinese Air Force’s authoritative release of “The Chinese Air Force has historically entered the strategic air force threshold” is also a response to the wild speculation of the West.
The Chinese Air Force has stepped into the threshold of a strategic air force. The range of operations and activities extends from land to open seas and oceans, and the use of the air force has evolved from a single platform to a system. Going out of the first island chain, flying across multiple straits, and spreading their wings in the Western Pacific, bombers and fighters continue to extend their tracks, and the system’s combat capabilities become stronger with practice. In tasks such as aerial rights protection on the Diaoyu Islands, management and control of the East China Sea air defense identification zone, normalized patrols in the South China Sea, and continuous exercises in the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese Air Force has unswervingly safeguarded national sovereignty, safeguarded national security, and guaranteed peaceful development.
The boarding gate of the US Strategic Air Force B-2 bomber is like the boarding gate of a Star Destroyer. Don’t worry, the B-2 star destroyer will not always be alone. It is estimated that in three to five years, the Chinese Air Force will have a similar stealth star destroyer – the H-20 bomber.
As everyone knows, the strategic air force refers to the air force that can perform strategic tasks independently. Such strategic tasks include strategic nuclear deterrence, destroying enemy’s deep and even domestic strategic targets, conducting strategic reconnaissance, early warning, and strategic projection. A very important sign of the strategic air forces of the United States, Russia and other countries is to have strategic bombers, while the Chinese air force corresponds to long-range bombers, that is, “far bombers.” Although the H-6 series of bombers currently in service in PLA also have the ability to refuel in the air, the accurate category should be “medium-range bombers.”
Since the 1950s, China has made brilliant achievements from scratch, from introduction to imitation, to independent design, development and manufacture, and now it has built an independent aviation system and is among the advanced countries in the world’s aircraft manufacturing industry. China first flew the new-generation fighter jet J-20 on January 11, 2011, and launched the advanced light fighter FC-31 in 2012, becoming the second country after the United States to develop two fifth-generation fighters at the same time, and the country with the newest fighters in production and test flights in the world.
Since 2014, China has become the world’s leading producer of advanced fighter jets. The total number of fighter jets produced by China and the United States from 2014 to 2020 is equivalent to 60% of the world’s fighter jet production during the same period. In recent years, the number of new fighters in service of the Chinese Air Force has been increasing at a three-digit rate each year. At present, the only countries in the world that can mass-produce fourth-generation and fifth-generation fighters at the same time are China and the United States.
At present, the Chinese Air Force has been reborn, and the high-tech weapons and equipment of the Chinese Air Force have been developed in a systematic manner. The new generation of stealth fighter J-20 has been equipped in batches of air force combat units, making my country the second country in the world to be equipped with fifth-generation fighters. As the Chinese Air Force enters the era of stealth, it means that the Chinese Air Force has once again risen to the world’s top-level in terms of equipment after a lapse of more than 60 years.
New fighters such as the J-10C and J-16 have further enhanced the Chinese Air Force’s comprehensive combat capabilities. New combat aircraft such as KJ-500 and H-6K/N have become the core of the Chinese Air Force’s equipment. The Y-20 large transport aircraft has made the Chinese Air Force’s strategic projection capabilities take a critical step. The Chinese Air Force has stepped into the threshold of the strategic air force and is striving towards the strategic goal of “integration of air and space, both offensive and defensive”.
Now, there is only one big killer, and that is the H-20 bomber.
The main reason why the U.S. Air Force clamored to make China “fear” was that the U.S. military boasted that it had the means to attack China’s mainland, so it dared to speak wild words.
At present, in addition to intercontinental missiles, we still lack an aviation weapon that can strike the United States. In addition to intercontinental missiles, China should also have stealth bombers that take off from the Northeast, penetrate the Far East, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Aleutian Islands, and launch cruise missiles in North America (crossed out, modified by 59). This is the best way to strike the United States, apart from intercontinental missiles. Imagine China’s long-range bomber going around the door of the United States. How would Washington feel?
Rebecca Grant, the chairman of the US Institute of Strategic Relations and senior air force expert, called the PLA Air Force an “upstart” in the world of airpower. As of 2020, China has one of the most powerful air forces in the world, with more than 1,000 fourth-generation fighter jets, second only to the U.S. Air Force.
The provocation of the U.S. Air Force’s claim to “make China feel afraid” was expressed in an interview by U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who had just taken office a few days ago. He said that in the future, the U.S. Air Force will be committed to increasing the R&D budget and developing leapfrog technologies that are sufficient to “make China feel afraid”.
Kendall said: “The U.S. Air Force must retire some of its existing fighter jets to free up funds for the development of new fighters that can “deter” major power opponents like China. If no action is taken now, China will be in air combat in the future. Defeat the United States.” This shows that the U.S. military needs more powerful combat aircraft so that they can enter the battlefield with confidence. The U.S. military has actually lost the courage to fight against opponents equipped with weapons of the same technological level.
The advantage of the B-2 bomber is based on stealth penetration technology. At present, the only B2A stealth bomber in the world is capable of penetrating into enemy countries with its own stealth capabilities, even without escort fighter jets. Some people say that the technology of the B2 bomber is so against the sky that it is lonely to be defeated. So far, no country can imitate a similar bomber? Is this true?
Don’t worry, the B2 stealth bomber’s sibling will be available soon, which will be the long-expected H-20 bomber.
The Chinese Air Force, which has always been low-key, announced that it has stepped into the strategic threshold at this juncture, especially at the Zhuhai Air Show conference, which seems to be meaningful. Therefore, some military fans believe that the Chinese Air Force’s announcement that it has “crossed the threshold of a strategic air force” implies that the legendary “long-range bomber” is likely to show the true face of Lushan at this air show. Everyone is excited like in the Chinese New Year.
As early as the beginning of the new year in 2021, a suspected new long-range bomber appeared in the propaganda film of the Chinese Air Force. The outside world has speculated that the H-20 bomber is likely to make its debut at this year’s air show. Since the Chinese Air Force dared to say “the threshold of entering the strategic air force”, it means that even if you don’t see each other within this year, the time when the H-20 strategic bomber turns out will not be too far away. Source