Forget the B-21: China’s H-20 stealth bomber could be coming soon

What You Need to Know: The U.S. Air Force’s B-21 “Raider” isn’t alone in the race for next-generation stealth dominance—China’s H-20 bomber, newly revealed in concept images, is progressing rapidly (see the image below).

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

-With the potential to strike beyond the First Island Chain, even reaching U.S. territory like Guam, the H-20 underscores the growing tension between the U.S. and China. As both nations advance stealth capabilities, the B-21’s timely deployment will be crucial to U.S. strategic interests.

U.S. B-21 vs. China’s H-20: The Stealth Bomber Race Intensifies

The U.S. Air Force is not alone in its quest 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 feature cutting-edge capabilities unmatched by any adversary. However, Beijing and Moscow are similarly working to field their stealth counterparts. China’s H-20 bomber is reportedly making significant strides and is perhaps 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 capability. As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to ramp up, the timely introduction of the B-21 will be imperative.

An Overview of the H-20 Bomber

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) 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 was charged with violating the Arms Export Control Act of 2005 after being discovered selling B-2 bomber intelligence to Beijing. A few years later, respected expert on Chinese aviation Andreas Rupprecht published renderings of prototypes in the works in China, which suggested that the PLAAF was already putting together 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:

While minimal information surrounding 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 serve as a key asset in China’s strategic arsenal.

The bomber is designed to carry large payloads, travel extended ranges, and feature survivability in highly contested environments. The recently released renderings of the platform showcase its sleek flying-wing design, which will contribute to the bomber’s minimal radar visibility and ability to circumvent detection from even the most advanced missile and radar systems.

The H-20 vs. B-21

Some Western analysts believe the Chinese bomber could have an extended range of 8,500 kilometers. If this is true, the H-20 could reach beyond the first Island Chain off the coast of China and into Japan, the Philippines, or even the U.S. territory of Guam.

A 2018 Pentagon assessment of the Chinese bomber outlined how concerning this capability would be to U.S. interests if accurate. Specifically, the report detailed that the Chinese Navy could, “expand long-range offensive bomber capability beyond the second island chain,” if a refuelable bomber were developed.

As the U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider is still underway, the race to achieve the world’s first next-generation stealth bomber is on. Considering the ramp-up of tensions between the U.S. and China over the South China Sea, a sobering look at the H-20’s potential prowess in the skies cannot be underestimated.

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.