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

tankphobia · Jul 20, 2023

gelgoog said:
The H-20 will be able to carry much larger cruise missiles than the loyal wingman drones available. Which means it will be able to attack well outside the range of opposing enemy aircraft if required. As for it being expensive to use for aerial refueling, a refueling variant of the H-20 would likely not need any of the expensive weapon systems, bomb bay, and radar as on the bomber variant. So how expensive would it be really?

The refueling variant would only be used for operations close to the front line. I am fairly sure something like the tanker version of the Y-20 would be used further behind the lines. Another possibility would be a tanker variant of the C929 once that comes out. Similar to A330MRTT.

I think the advantage of loyal wingman for AA duties compared to a subsonic bomber is that you can be risker with tactics as the platform is more disposable, i.e high altitude supersonic launch, which will give it good missile performance also.

How about the US approach of using UAVs for refueling also? The MQ-25 Stingray comes to mind, it will be far cheaper to operate comparing to a converted stealth bomber.

Atomicfrog · Jul 23, 2023

tankphobia said:
How about the US approach of using UAVs for refueling also? The MQ-25 Stingray comes to mind, it will be far cheaper to operate comparing to a converted stealth bomber.

It clearly depend of what you will fuel, a MQ-25 have about 7 tons of fuel capacity, enough to refuel two f-18e/f at half capacity of internal fuel. If you want to refuel a bomber... you will need something way bigger. Just a H-6 will need multiple of these to have half is fuel load.

TK3600 · Jul 23, 2023

Atomicfrog said:
It clearly depend of what you will fuel, a MQ-25 have about 7 tons of fuel capacity, enough to refuel two f-18e/f at half capacity of internal fuel. If you want to refuel a bomber... you will need something way bigger. Just a H-6 will need multiple of these to have half is fuel load.

So That means MQ-25 is mostly for F-35 not for strategic bombers.

Michaelsinodef · Jul 23, 2023

??? Why are people hanging on to the H20 potentially carrying PL10s and PL15s and acting as an air-to-air missile truck?

Why not instead have it carry something like 'PL17' or 'PL21' that could have something like 300km+ range, if it really needed to be used as a missile truck carrying air-to-air missiles?

ACuriousPLAFan · Jul 23, 2023

TK3600 said:
So That means MQ-25 is mostly for F-35 not for strategic bombers.

Yes. The MQ-25 is conceived to supplement (and eventually replace) the Super Hornet buddy tankers, i.e. to refuel carrier-based F/A-18s and F-35Cs while staying away from allied/home carriers, hence without requiring those fighters to land back on the carriers to refuel before continuing with their missions.

They aren't meant to refuel long-range strategic bombers in the first place.

tankphobia · Jul 24, 2023

Atomicfrog said:
It clearly depend of what you will fuel, a MQ-25 have about 7 tons of fuel capacity, enough to refuel two f-18e/f at half capacity of internal fuel. If you want to refuel a bomber... you will need something way bigger. Just a H-6 will need multiple of these to have half is fuel load.

Well the discussion is about using h-20 as a tanker for fighter jets, so I'm assuming a MQ-25 esq UAV will suffice for this purpose. There's also nothing stopping the PLAAF from procuring larger UAVs if needed, since MQ-25 is restrained by the requirement to launch off a carrier.

ashnole · Jul 24, 2023

You develop STEALTHY bombers to fight wars AFFORDABLY using affordable stand-in direct-attack satellite & laser guided munitions.

Stealthy bombers are never meant for the stand-off ALCM-carrying role.

ashnole · Jul 24, 2023

ACuriousPLAFan said:
Yes. The MQ-25 is conceived to supplement (and eventually replace) the Super Hornet buddy tankers, i.e. to refuel carrier-based F/A-18s and F-35Cs while staying away from allied/home carriers, hence without requiring those fighters to land back on the carriers to refuel before continuing with their missions.

They aren't meant to refuel long-range strategic bombers in the first place.

MQ-25 is primarily meant to refuel the AEW Hawkeyes and the CAP jets.

MQ-25 can never refuel USAF aircrafts simply because USAF uses an entirely different refueling system (flying boom) to the USN's (probe-and-drogue). Even the USN's P8 MPAs cannot be refueled by the MQ-25 because they were designed, as an exception to the norm, for flying boom refueling by USAF tankers.

ACuriousPLAFan · Jul 24, 2023

ashnole said:
MQ-25 is primarily meant to refuel the AEW Hawkeyes and the CAP jets.

MQ-25 can never refuel USAF aircrafts simply because USAF uses an entirely different refueling system (flying boom) to the USN's (probe-and-drogue). Even the USN's P8 MPAs cannot be refueled by the MQ-25 because they were designed, as an exception to the norm, for flying boom refueling by USAF tankers.

Yes, I should've mentioned it clearer beforehand (regarding the bolded part).

Also it should be noted that only the E-2Ds Advanced Hawkeyes have mid-air refueling capability. The earlier variants of the Hawkeye do not (unless retrofitted with one).

Deino · Jul 24, 2023

Guys … come back and stick to the topic, or stop posting in this thread!

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

tankphobia

Senior Member

Atomicfrog

Major

TK3600

Major

Michaelsinodef

Senior Member

ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier

tankphobia

Senior Member

ashnole

New Member

ashnole

New Member

ACuriousPLAFan

Brigadier

Deino

Lieutenant General