Long-range stealth bomber under development in China

The First Aircraft Institute of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China has been designing the first generation long-range stealth bomber for the People's Liberation Army Air Force since 2008, a report from the state-run China Aviation News stated.

Senior Colonel Wu Guohui from the National Defense University in Beijing told the China Aviation News that the stealth bomber has two advantages on ballistic missiles. The first one is that ballistic missiles can only be fired once, while a stealth bomber can be launched multiple times. The second is that ballistic missiles cannot return to base, as the stealth bomber can, if a mission is aborted.

As the United States has decided to invest US$1.2 billion a year to develop a new stealth bomber to replace its Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, Wu said that it is time for China to have its own stealth bomber. Conventional strategic bombers such as the B-2 and the Chinese Xian H-6 are both easy targets for enemy fighters and anti-aircraft missiles to attack. Russia is also designing its new-generation long-range bomber to compete against the United States and China.

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