Meet the B-21

a reply to: penroc3

Wow. Is that an unmanned C-130 with 8 low-bypass engines, on dual-nacelles nonetheless? Quite the imagination!

a reply to: aholic

i would like to see what is really on the drawing table or maybe even flying.


it seems we might get a family picture sooner than later. WIth all the animated 'future' systems being shown to the press that just happened to fit the LRSB family like a glove.

bomber-check ISR-check- bomb/missle truck-check tanker-check fighter check-

and to top it all off new networked weapons some with LONG stand off ranges, and a new precision guided B61-12.

I'm kinda willing to bet we'll see Chinas flying wing bomber long before the B-21, rumor is it rolled out in June. Actually looking forward it more but both will be a treat to see.

originally posted by: E92M3
I'm kinda willing to bet we'll see Chinas flying wing bomber long before the B-21, rumor is it rolled out in June. Actually looking forward it more but both will be a treat to see.

Has China ever done strategic bombers?

You know you build a carrier or 20 but it doesnt mean you can perform carrier operations. I am sure there is a lot of information out there but 60 years of carrier operations experience counts for a lot surely.

I cant remember the names but didnt the US have a continuous nuclear bomber air force flying laps of the oceans ready to strike? The fact they never did strike isnt the point, even Russia today probes the NATO airspace to test response times.

Once China has the bombers, they need to somehow hone the tactics that make them strategic.

I am not playing down their ability to replicate an american design, or even use one to create their own, but I would imagine for example a Typhoon pilot would learn a lot from a Red Flag exercise going up against a stealth F-22 who is not playing its ace cards (perhaps like a Chinese pilot with a stealth aircraft that didnt know its ace cards) would mean they are still at a massive disadvantage.

Hopefully we will never find out but the US strategic bomber force is more than an aircraft, it is friendly foreign bases, tactics, mission planning and a whole heap of things learned from years practice.

It could be like giving a street racer a formula 1 car to try and beat his mates mustang.

a reply to: Forensick

Chrome Dome. They were 24 hour nuclear armed rotations.

China has a couple Russian strategic bombers, but I don't think they've built any of their own.

a reply to: Zaphod58

With the economy being how it is at the moment in Russia maybe they might look at developing a bomber with China?

a reply to: Woody510

They might, but the relationship between the two of them is complex. They're working on a new commercial aircraft, but Russia hasn't been happy with China in recent years with regards to the military side of things.

originally posted by: Zaphod58

China has a couple Russian strategic bombers, but I don't think they've built any of their own.

No they have not. The only bomber platform they have is based on the Tu-16. Granted its been heavily modified and updated. However, the recent foray into both commercial aviation AND strategic transport aircraft (Y-20, which looks like their hacking paid off IMHO), lead me to conclude that a heavy bomber is well within their capabilities.

There is no reason to think they will not be able to hack....er develop good engines on their own down the road

Their latest H-6 variant - H-6K - is nothing to sneeze at, especially combined with the YJ-12 AShM. Take a dozen and any US Carrier Strike Group will have their hands full dealing with the threat.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Russia and China share a common wish to counter the US, but just beneath that Russia views China as an emerging competitor on the global arms market, which aside from oil, gas and some food commodities is one of the very few sectors Russia has good quality products to offer buyers. Russia still has a lead in many military technologies over China, but China's economy is 10 times the size of Russia's, GDP per capita is now almost line ball and with the investment China is making in new R&D, the gap to it and Russia will shrink in many areas, and China will soon surpass Russian military technology in a number of areas. And let's not forget the J11B saga...nice to see the Russians getting screwed over for once!