As the US Air Force continues to develop its next-generation B-21 stealth bomber series, a deeper dive into near-peer foreign counterparts could be significant. Both Moscow and Beijing are currently fielding their own bomber programs, intended to directly counter America’s dominance in this arena. The American-made B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, and B-1B Lancer remain the cornerstone of the Air Force’s bomber fleet and the nation’s air-launched nuclear deterrence strategy. If the Chinese H-20 “Xi-an” or the Russian PAK-DA bombers reach operational capacity before the Raider is introduced, could they compete with America’s existing bomber contingent?

When China’s H-20 is officially fielded by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), it will serve as its premier dedicated strategic bomber. Earlier this year, imagery depicting a new large combat aircraft was released by Chinese state-run media outlets. Although there is no confirmation that this mystery aircraft was indeed the H-20, the footage depicts a large aircraft........

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