Russia and China are developing new generation strategic bombers that can withstand the American B-21 Raider in the sky. Therefore, American engineers should study the work of competitors. This opinion was expressed by military expert Maya Carlin in an article for The National Interest.
Engineers at Tupolev are preparing the Prospective Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation (PAK DA, "Product 80"), their Chinese colleagues from Xian Aircraft Industry are developing the H-20.
If Chinese or Russian strategic bombers are ready before the B-21 Raider (developed by Northrop Grumman), will they be able to compete with the current fleet of US Air Force bombers?
It will be difficult to compare the technical characteristics of PAK DA, H-20, and B-21 Raider, as there is no official data. Carlin used information from open sources.
| PAK DA | H-20 | B-21 Raider | |
| Number of Units Built | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Length | Unknown | 16.75 m | 16.7 m |
| Takeoff Weight | 145 t | 200 t | 130 t |
| Engines | Likely from Su-57 | 2 or 4 turbofan engines without afterburner | 2 turbofan engines Pratt & Whitney PW9000 without afterburner |
| Maximum Speed | up to 900 km/h | about 965 km/h | about 965 km/h |
| Crew | 4 | 2 | 2 |
When China adopts the H-20, it will become its main strategic bomber.
Officially, the development of the H-20 started in 2016. However, according to Western analysts, they have been working on this project since the early 2000s. It is expected that the bomber's range could be up to 8.5 thousand km, that is, it will be able to fly to Japan, the Philippines, and Guam (owned by the USA).
Carlin was skeptical about the Russian PAK DA project. She doubted that the bomber would be ready by 2027. Nevertheless, "the American B-21 Raider could be the answer" to both China and Russia, the expert believes.
The introduction of new generation bombers could change the situation in the sky. At least three B-21 Raider prototypes are already ready. The bomber is expected to enter limited service by 2027.
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