{"id":56103,"date":"2018-10-11T20:37:53","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T20:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/10\/11\/in-first-china-confirms-new-long-range-strategic-bomber-designation\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:08:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:08:30","slug":"in-first-china-confirms-new-long-range-strategic-bomber-designation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/10\/11\/in-first-china-confirms-new-long-range-strategic-bomber-designation\/","title":{"rendered":"In first, China confirms \u2018new long-range strategic bomber\u2019 designation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MELBOURNE, Australia \u2014 China\u2019s official state-run media has confirmed the designation of the country\u2019s newest long-range strategic bomber<\/a>, with analysts speculating that the prototype is expected to make its first flight soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a documentary reportedly broadcast in August, China Central Television referred to the \u201cHong-20\u201d as the \u201cnew long-range strategic bomber\u201d under development for the People\u2019s Liberation Army Air Force, or PLAAF, confirming for the first time the H-20 designation that has previously been used elsewhere to describe the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The documentary added that \u201cgreat progress\u201d is being made on the Hong-20\u2019s development, although it did not provide other details. \u201cHong\u201d is the standard abbreviation for the term \u201cHongzhaji,\u201d or bomber<\/a> in Chinese, although this is usually shortened to just the \u201cH\u201d in Western literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator quoted by the semi-official Global Times newspaper, said he expects the first flight of the bomber to occur soon. However, Andreas Rupprecht, who has authored several books on Chinese military aviation, previously wrote for the Jamestown Foundation that he expects first flight of the new bomber to occur sometime in early 2020, based on the development cycles of other Chinese military aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The existence of the bomber program was confirmed by PLAAF commander Gen. Ma Xiaotian in 2016, although Rupprecht wrote in the Jamestown Foundation\u2019s report that it has been under development since the late 1990s or early 2000s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new bomber is being developed by the Xi\u2019an Aircraft Company and is expected to be a stealthy flying-wing design with an internal weapons bay and nested engines within its body to enhance low observability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been reported that Chinese military officials said a new strategic bomber should be capable of striking targets beyond the second island chain without aerial refueling while carrying a payload of at least 10 metric tons, leading to speculation that targets such as Hawaii<\/a> would be within range of cruise missiles launched by the new bomber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bomber is expected to complement the Xian H-6K in Chinese service. A development of the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-16 Badger, the H-6K features more powerful engines and a totally revised, modern avionics suite. It is also capable of launching cruise missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The H-6K is replacing older versions of the H-6 in the People\u2019s Liberation Army, with reports that the type is being inducted into the People\u2019s Liberation Army Navy\u2019s aviation regiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Only a fan art of the PLAAF's future H-20 , but a nice one \ud83d\ude01
I wouldn't complain if the real one would look like this. pic.twitter.com\/R9pLssTuLM<\/a><\/p>— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) January 13, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>