H-20 bomber (with H-X, JH-XX)

Nx4eu

Junior Member
Registered Member
Could it be that the reason for the H-20 taking so lonf is the development of some sort of active defensive systems, like some laser APS / DIRCMs or a mini VLS cell to shoot down incoming missiles should it be detected? A subsonic stealth bomber has very low observability but not much survivability when spotted and tracked, but this could solve the issue instead of relying on supersonic speed?
Or maybe the Chinese MIC isn't infallible and the program was simply just delayed. Ever think about that?
 

ENTED64

Junior Member
Registered Member
It’s just requirements creep. The original concept for the H-20 would be nearing obsoletion before it entered service if its initial flight date was going to be in the early 2020s.
My question is what exactly about it was obsolete that led to the goalpost moving which caused delays? Range? Payload? I mean I wouldn't really consider the B-2 obsolete and the original requirement surely would have at least that much stealth if target first flight was early 2020s.
 

latenlazy

Brigadier
My question is what exactly about it was obsolete that led to the goalpost moving which caused delays? Range? Payload? I mean I wouldn't really consider the B-2 obsolete and the original requirement surely would have at least that much stealth if target first flight was early 2020s.
Sensors, EW, comms, operational management systems, and stealth requirements. Just electric power growth margin requirements alone have probably creeped up significantly. The B-2 is absolutely reaching obsoletion. You’re not buying H-20s in the late 2020s that are only going to be relevant until the mid 2030s. Waste of money, especially when the previously conceived missions can now be done with unmanned systems. You do need a future manned stealth bomber but its primary mission needs to be more about adding significant value to your new informationitized combat doctrine, not just something that can slip past 2000s level air defenses to do a munitions dump.
 

phrozenflame

Junior Member
Registered Member
A lot of focus on striking CONUS in past few months. If you just remove all launch/access points in the region, then US faces same challenge that China faces trying to reach CONUS. Both face the same laws of Physics.

Perhaps thats the focus. Expand Access/Area deniability efficiently and effectively, from Suez to Hawaii.

Total and utter domination upto Third Island Chain, but in a radius, not just looking East.

Perhaps we can coin it the The Suez-Hawaii Strategic Perimetre. SHSP.

Based on this, H-20 doesnt need to be super sonic. But alot more stealthy in all spectrums and with a bit more range than B-21.

I really think the technical aim for H-20 would be for it to give the same treatment to Japan what US did to Iran, which is perhaps the most technologically advanced area access point opposing it. China would want to efficiently and effectively neuter Japan in any hot war without tying up too much resources or time and without nukes.

Stealth levels envisioned in 2010s may be sufficient for open oceans but perhaps not good enough when facing high density of radar nodes such as mainland Japan. I believe this to be the challenge.


If you can fly undetected over Japan mainland during war time and with range of around 14-15k km. Then you got it. That is the ask, IMO.

In terms of shape, flying wing is the ideal shape. I think the challenge or delay likely would be more efficient engines for purpose of range and even more advanced materials for weight and and stealth.

The goal is securing Suez-Hawaii strategic perimetre.
 
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bsdnf

Senior Member
Registered Member
The overall consensus seems to be that H-20 will look something like a B-2, a flying wing, subsonic, very low radar crosssection.
But ... does that actually make sense anymore? Maybe it started out as such, but considering how heavily china has worked to build a dense sensor network to negate the stealth of US platforms, using power increases of AESA radars with new gallium technologies, satellite networks using bistatic, forward scatter and high-res SAR, combined with optical sensors and image recognition neural nets, + VHF / UHF HALE AWACS drones ...

Does china still bet on stealth? Or do they expect their own stealth platforms to loose the stealth advantage soon with the US replicating their counter-stealth efforts?
The J-36 is clearly a design of high kinematic capability, where they value the speed and range to dash out to choose the engagement.
Do they maybe think that an H-20 platform with B-2 / B-21 tier capabilities would lack the kinematics for survival?

I find it hard to believe that the Chinese would believe a subsonic bomber could fly to CONUS and drop a bomb there undetected.
One could reasonably assume that any high value asset will be real-time monitored by a satellite network in the not too near future.
I am not saying they're building a supersonic bomber, maybe they're not building any bomber as a result of such a conclusion.
My view is that the result of countering stealth isn't that stealth becomes useless and everyone abandons it, but rather that stealth becomes a fundamental element, and those without stealth will only die faster.

Otherwise, there would be no need for the sixth-gen fighter to go through so much trouble to remove the vertical stabilizer.
 

Wrought

Captain
Registered Member
My view is that the result of countering stealth isn't that stealth becomes useless and everyone abandons it, but rather that stealth becomes a fundamental element, and those without stealth will only die faster.

Otherwise, there would be no need for the sixth-gen fighter to go through so much trouble to remove the vertical stabilizer.

Yes, those dense sensor networks are hardly blind to non-VLO aircraft. Quite the opposite; they will be even more lethal.
 

Dante80

Junior Member
Registered Member
Stealth remains extremely relevant now and in the future. Which is why you are seeing everyone (PLA included) making sure that their platforms still incorporate it in some form.

Countering stealth is not a solved issue, nor is it going to be any time soon. In an actual conflict, the resulting EA/EP/ECM soup in a given theater is enough to greatly degrade any current or near future sensor system/network. It's the whole fucking idea of electronic warfare.
 

Gloire_bb

Colonel
Registered Member
My view is that the result of countering stealth isn't that stealth becomes useless and everyone abandons it, but rather that stealth becomes a fundamental element, and those without stealth will only die faster.
Stealth itself is not a yes/no clutch.
F-18e or have blue f-16 has some stealth, su-57 have some, f-35 has some, bird of prey(-70dB) also has some.
Some somes only have minor effects, other are so low that powerful radars can't spot targets within wvr range.

Stealth is stealth, but execution matters.
 
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