What you need to know: The US Air Force’s B-21 “Raider” is not alone in the race for next-generation stealth dominance: China’s H-20 bomber, recently revealed in concept images, is making rapid progress (see image below).

-The H-20, Beijing’s first stealth bomber, aims to rival the Raider with extended range, high payload and the stealth needed for survival in contested airspace.

-With the potential to strike beyond the first island chain, and even reach a U.S. territory like Guam, the H-20 underscores the growing tension between the United States and China. As both countries develop their stealth capabilities, the timely deployment of the B-21 will be crucial to U.S. strategic interests.

American B-21 against Chinese H-20: the race for stealth bombers intensifies

The US Air Force isn’t the only one looking to introduce the world’s first-ever next-generation stealth bomber.

In recent months, the service’s B-21 “Raider” platform has made headlines, promising to deliver cutting-edge capabilities. incomparable by any opponent. However, Beijing and Moscow are also working to deploy their stealth counterparts. China’s H-20 bomber has reportedly made significant progress and may pose a greater imminent threat to America.

Earlier this month, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) revealed new concept images of its next-generation platform. The virtual rendering of Beijing’s first-ever bomber indicates that the H-20 will be on par with the Raider in terms of stealth and capabilities. As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to escalate, the timely introduction of B-21s will be imperative.

A look at the H-20 bomber

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has officially announced its stealth bomber program in 2016, however, the PLAAF likely began conceptualizing initial designs more than a decade earlier. A top Northrop Grumman design engineer has been charged with violating the 2005 Arms Export Control Act after he was found selling B-2 bomber intelligence to Beijing. A few years later, Andreas Rupprecht, a respected expert on Chinese aviation, published renderings of prototypes in the works in China, suggesting that the PLAAF is already developing plans to introduce a stealth bomber.

In 2018, the PRC revealed that “great progress” was being made on the H-20 front.

What we know about the stealth bomber:

Although little information regarding the H-20 bomber is available, the PRC is certainly aiming to achieve air superiority with this new platform. Like its upcoming American counterpart, the H-20 will be a key asset in China’s strategic arsenal.

The bomber is designed to carry large payloads, travel extended distances and provide survivability in highly contested environments. Newly released renderings of the platform highlight its sleek flying wing design, which will contribute to the bomber’s minimal radar visibility and ability to evade detection of the most advanced missile and radar systems.

The H-20 versus the B-21

Some Western analysts believe that Chinese bomber could have an extended range of 8,500 kilometers. If true, the H-20 could reach beyond the first island chain off China’s coast and reach Japan, the Philippines, or even the U.S. territory of Guam.

A Pentagon 2018 assessment of the Chinese bomber highlighted how this capability would be of concern to US interests if accurate. Specifically, the report states that the Chinese Navy could “expand its long-range offensive bomber capability beyond the second island chain” if a refueling bomber were developed.

As the US Air Force did B-21 Raider is still underway, the race to achieve the world’s first next-generation stealth bomber is on. Given the escalating tensions between the United States and China over the South China Sea, the H-20’s potential prowess in the sky should not be underestimated.

About the author

Maya Carlinnational security editor at The National Interest, is an analyst at the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has contributed articles to numerous publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has published more than 1,000 articles over the past several years on various defense issues.

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