Can we keep the UCAV discussion accompanying H-20 in here? I agree that a JH-XX rumor thread would make sense.
Yes, trying to break down USN CVG defense is orders of magnitude harder than any other possible adversary of PLAN.
I think the future has to be high subsonic, extremely VLO anti-ship missiles that can fly really low and hard for AWACS/F-35s to distinguish vs sea clutter.
Right, 20 JH-XX would be a huge deployment. You'd probably need 100 JH-XX to make multiple sorties of 20 JH-XX. As I said, carrying more than 1 YJ-12 would be very hard. I could see them developing a smaller short ranged supersonic missile (maybe mach2.5 in sea skimming mode with 100 km range).
The answer (ignoring other tech domains like HGV ASBM EW and so on) is to simultaneously increase the numbers and overall capability of PLAN to USN levels over time AND to shift the paradigm within this conventional domain. JH-xx is a part of a network of offensive units. PLA has none of the effectiveness a supersonic stealth attack aircraft offers. Therefore JH-xx would only be a positive contribution.
The question of ordinance is the key. Assuming old YJ-12 is a poor one. It's also not a suitable missile for an adversary as capable as USN. I mean this is some Cold War era tech and thinking. While it's an impressive missile, it's a Brahmos story. Nowhere near a perfect solution to anything let alone a first rate navy that's second to none in training, experience, technology, and numbers.
Ordinance is key because part of the solution (again, just within this domain) is in saturation. SM-6 and ESSM are very finite (albeit USN is huge lol) and expensive. Once they are shot out of their VLS or launcher the replenishment supply line is thin, delicate, and FAR. And yes it is delicate over this ocean and over this distance, against a player like China with its manufacturing might and every long range weapon and then some within its arsenal. H-20 and again, JH-xx also, would be amazing assets for hitting supply lines that take hours if not days to rebuild and reinforce.
If there is a way to get USN spending their interceptors in a hurry, then they would be all out of ammo in the western Pacific, days away from the nearest regional bases with only a fraction of reload supplies themselves.
Cheap and plentiful decoys or loitering drone like ordinance are probably explored for this role. These would be far more effective than existing AshM if deployed from stealthy aircraft (that can safely travel much closer to fleets than H6)... especially fast and stealthy aircraft that can carry this sort of payload. Maybe a sleathy pod glider that is dropped from 300km + away by JH-xx or H-20, they then glide as far as possible before detection and attempted interception, deploy dozens of submunitions
similar to suicide drones or loitering drones (that China already have developed and put into service) and that takes care of more interceptor missiles from the CBG than a single YJ-12 would. Of course, the submunitions would need enough range at the point of deployment to actually hit the carrier and I'm sure a thousand other questions but building JH-xx just to carry one or even four YJ-12 would be quite limiting for the use of a JH-xx.
Point is JH-xx being a supersonic stealthy medium bomber/attack aircraft would be a platform that's immensely useful for PLA.
While H-6 can still perform its air launching of WZ-8 and air launched ballistic missiles and whatever else they have been/ will be air launching (FOBS, orbital vehicles etc), H-20 is the strategic, subsonic, stealth bomber while JH-xx is useful in these regional roles where speed and penetration is more important than payload. The three are extremely distinct. H-20 probably considered by PLA higher ups as a higher priority since it can cover regional roles similar to that propsed JH-xx one since it has the stealth quality. Not sure if there's enough in the budget to develop a JH-xx. Certainly a nice to have in this case.
