H-20: A hanging cookie
On July 26, Changchun Airlines opened, and the J-20 made a high-profile appearance, but everyone may forget that there is another exciting bomber fighter, that is, the H-20. Although the H-20 has been officially announced for seven years, it has not appeared on its maiden flight, and it can only be seen in some promotional videos. For why the H-20 has not made its first flight so far, we can only ask, is it really existing, or is it a big pie drawn?
According to Indian space experts, one H-20 is worth 20 J-20s. Compared to the high-profile J-20, the H-20 seems more mysterious, but does this fighter really exist?
Traditional bombardment fighters are mainly used to attack the ground and carry bombs, but with the changes of the times, bombardment fighters have gradually developed into fighters with guided bomb and missile capabilities. When the bomber has stealth capabilities, it has become an important military equipment that armies of various countries are vying to develop.
Modern strategic bombers have the characteristics of long range, aerial refueling, large load capacity, large arsenal, advanced radar system, and large-range bombing. For example, the American B-1B bomber and the B-2B bomber under development, as well as the Russian Tu-95, all have high-intensity combat functions.
Compared to the United States and Russia, there is a real gap between the current bombers of the continent. In order to stand taller on the international stage, the mainland must develop a bomber fighter that is no weaker than that of the United States and Russia. Although from the perspective of the H-6 and subsequent improvements, the mainland has improved the development technology of bombers, but there is still a gap compared with the United States and Russia.
According to military expert Du Wenlong, the H-20 is likely to be a subsonic nuclear-ready bomber. Subsonic speed means that the speed is less than the speed of sound propagation, which has the advantages of low noise, low structural strength requirements, and fuel saving. Nuclear and conventional capability means that bomber fighters have both nuclear strike capabilities and nuclear counterattack capabilities, become intelligence collection platforms, and have electronic warfare capabilities. In addition, the H-20 is also expected to have networked combat capabilities and be able to carry out high-precision strikes outside the defense area.
Based on all information, the H-20 is expected to have a range of 12,000 kilometers and a bomb load of up to 20-30 tons, which can carry the latest air-launched long-range cruise missiles. For the shape of the H-20, some people think that it may resemble the American B-2 stealth strategic bomber, and some people think it may be like the Russian Tu-160 supersonic bomber.
Although we have various speculations about the H-20, we have no way of knowing the true face of the H-20 until the official release of relevant information. However, seven years have passed since the official announcement of the H-20, and we are still anxiously waiting for its official debut and first flight.
As one of the most anticipated military equipment on the mainland, the significance of the H-20 is different from other equipment, and it is a milestone for the country, the army and the aviation industry. The H-20 will make up for the shortcomings of the mainland's strategic equipment and provide the mainland air force with extremely strong air nuclear strike capabilities.
The development of the H-20 will certainly not be simple. The mainland has developed bombers and other equipment from scratch, which is different from other countries that have time to gradually develop and improve it. The mainland is facing a situation of tight time and heavy tasks, and scientists need to master the development technology of bombers in a short time.
Another reason is the progress of the times. The speed of equipment updates may cause the equipment that has just been installed to become obsolete soon, so the H-20 may still be updated and improved. The last reason may be the development of the country's security strategy, the change of goals, and the adjustment of the design of the H-20, such as the addition of popular artificial intelligence technologies.
In general, it is useless for us to rush. The H-20 will finally be unveiled in due course. Resources:
1. Observer.com "Is the H-20 a large bomber or a stealth bomber?" 》
2. Deep solution "There was no Hong-20 at the Changchun Air Show, why didn't China achieve its first flight in 7 years?" Let the bullets fly a little longer"
3. Global Times "H-20 bomber has high stealth characteristics in development"
4. The Paper "Experts talk about the design ideas of H-20: with high stealth performance, "nuclear and constant"
