IMO a large part of the justification for the H-20 is its role as the third leg of china’s nuclear triad. The ability to strike targets in the Western CONUS by conventional means would only be a side benefit. There is also Hawaii, Alaska, and possibly Diego Garcia that afaik no other PLAAF asset can reach but the H-20 can.
Maybe I didn't express it clearly enough. In fact, your answer also expresses this point: China and the United States are both huge industrial countries. Destroying some airports, factories or military bases is meaningless to China or the United States, because there are too many, and both countries have enough capabilities to rebuild more, unless nuclear bombs kill a very large population and facilities at once.
If I were to choose, orbital mobile bombers such as the X37b or the "Mingdy" suborbital mobile bomber should be favorable contenders. A subsonic flying-wing bomber that only relies on ultra-low detectability to protect itself will die immediately once it is captured by a new sensor. China and the United States are obviously the countries most likely to obtain this new search, guidance, and attack system in a short period of time.
Yes I agree with all of this.
This is the assumption this whole conversation has taken place under because:
In a full scale nuclear war none of these factors really matter.
Possibly, a number of people on this thread have made good points about how strategically necessary the program is. What I find interesting is just how it's been teased semi-officially for quite a while and yet there's been not much movement unlike other PLA programs. I think given the information we have currently it does seem like the PLA feels like this program isn't as high of a priority as some others or else it would be progressing faster.
Perhaps it is because China has not yet learned how to "appropriately" use conventional weapons as the world's second strongest military country?
Bro did you get the memo that a PLAN task force just pretty much circumnavigated the land down under recently?Perhaps it is because China has not yet learned how to "appropriately" use conventional weapons as the world's second strongest military country?
China's political correctness comes from historical inheritance. Regardless of the Mao Zedong era or the Deng Xiaoping era, there is no strong support for the idea of military expansion (beyond China's historical borders). To this day, Chinese students' political, social, and moral courses have always resisted the use of military operations to seize overseas rights and interests, gain strategic advantages, etc. In fact, the propaganda of the U.S. military on the Internet has greatly encouraged these young people to think in this direction.
But the military is always conservative, and the PLA's dominant propaganda does not include the political, economic, or military interests of going to Africa, Europe, and indian ocean
to "defend the empire."
Under such conditions, H20 cannot be accommodated in the PLA's military doctrine.
Unless there is a huge breakthrough that makes the PLA feel that it is worth the money - the most realistic thing is that if a Sino-US military conflict breaks out, what tasks can the H20 complete that the PLA cannot currently complete?Xi'an Aircraft Company obviously didn't answer well. What's worse is that Chengdu Aircraft Company responded with J36.
Bro, the media's rendering makes you feel too excited. If the combination of 1 cruiser, 1 destroyer and 1 supply ship has any impact on Australia's security, it is because they have been here, that's all.