Chinese media has announced on 15 October that the newest long-range strategic bomber will unveil during a parade as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2019.
According to the news reports, China to unveil its new long-range strategic bomber at the large-scale air force military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLAAF. However, there’s no official statement or confirmed from the Chinese government or military.
The existence of the bomber program was confirmed by PLAAF commander Gen. Ma Xiaotian in 2016, although Rupprecht wrote in the Jamestown Foundation’s report that it has been under development since the late 1990s or early 2000s.
Analysts speculating that the prototype of new Chinese large-tonnage strategic bomber, also known as H-20, is expected to make its first flight soon.
Chinese state television also has confirmed that the H-20 bomber will soar into friendly skies in the near future.
In addition to this, the silhouette of an unknown aircraft was spotted at an evening gala for China’s strategic bomber division, leading military observers to speculate on Sunday that it could be the new H-20 stealth bomber. The gala was held on October 7 at an unspecified strategic bomber division under the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, the official PLA Air Force website reported on Thursday.
According to the Global Times, at a morale-boosting gala to build a “first-class strategic bomber division,” the silhouette of a mysterious aircraft appeared on a big screen in photos released with publicity for the event.
The front of the aircraft did not resemble China’s known strategic bomber as it sported angled winglets on the ends of its wings, with no visible tail. The report did not mention the mysterious aircraft, but online readers speculated that it could be the H-20, China’s in-development long-distance strategic stealth bomber.
Some military experts say that H-20’s design will be mirrored off of the US Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
It is expected that the H-20’s specifications include a range of 12,000 kilometers without a refueling session and a weapons bay that can carry more than 20 tons of munitions, including thermonuclear weapons.