China Simulation Targets And Defeats B-21 Stealth Bomber

However, SCMP mentions that the effectiveness of these tactics in real-world scenarios remains speculative, as the Chinese military has revealed various hypersonic missiles but specifics for their use in air combat remain classified. It notes that the development of its advanced stealth aircraft is ongoing , with the timing of its first flight uncertain.

Asia Times has previously reported about the B-21 Raider, the US next-generation strategic bomber set to replace the B-2 Spirit, B-1 Lancer and possibly the long-serving B-52 Stratofortress.

The B-21 is set to be the foundation of America's next-generation air-based nuclear arsenal.

Asia Times reported last month that the Biden administration had developed the B61-13 bomb air-dropped nuclear gravity bomb meant to address security threats posed by China and Russia. The B61-13 bomb would only be allowed with specific bombers, such as the B-21.

Crewed strategic bombers like the B-21 provide a high level of control in direct target attacks but also have the flexibility to be recalled if circumstances or evaluations change suddenly.

Asia Times reported in October 2023 that the B-21 aircraft could use the US AGM-181A Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) cruise missile to maintain its stealth capabilities against increasingly advanced air defenses and military technology.

The AGM-181A LRSO enables bombers to practice attacking various targets from a safe distance, enhancing the effectiveness of US deterrence against potential adversaries.

Asia Times reported in February 2022 that the B-21 is capable of long-range strikes, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic attacks and communication. It can be manned or unmanned and can use a variety of munitions for both standoff and direct-attack purposes.

Its open architecture allows for future upgrades and modernization, making it adaptable to evolving threats. The US Air Force plans to acquire up to 200 units of the B-21.

The B-21 bomber is designed to restore US capabilities in a potential great power conflict with China and Russia, allowing the US to penetrate sophisticated air defenses and attack military installations, naval vessels and missile batteries. It also is armed to destroy advanced air defenses and target command and control centers.

However, stealth technology is not an“invisibility cloak” as popularly imagined. Instead, various designs, materials, methods and tactics increase the time between detection and interception.

In a July 2022 article, The National Interest (TNI) notes that stealth aircraft are designed to hinder or avoid detection from radar systems that can accurately guide missiles to a target, while lower frequency radar systems can detect them even though they cannot precisely guide weapons.

TNI notes that most nations operate early warning systems that can identify stealth aircraft in their airspace but lack the means to target them effectively, stressing that mission planning is crucial for all stealth air operations as radars and other targeting techniques can identify and engage stealth aircraft.

SCMP reported in August 2022 that Chinese scientists have developed a remarkably small and discreet anti-stealth radar system capable of being quickly and quietly set up in various locations including rooftops.

That development contrasts sharply with traditional anti-stealth radar systems, which typically require large antennas to detect the intentionally weak signatures of stealth aircraft.

Aside from improved radars, heat signatures may be a giveaway for stealth aircraft like the B-21.

In August 2022, SCMP reported that Chinese defense engineers have developed a compact infrared search-and-track (IRST) system capable of detecting the heat signature of fast-moving aircraft from considerable distances.

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SCMP mentions that the design, utilizing medium-wave infrared technology, has successfully detected and tracked civil aircraft from as far as 285 kilometers and can identify features such as the aircraft's outline, rotor, tail and the number of engines from the infrared spectrum image.

A surface-to-air missile is fired from a missile launcher by the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command during a round-the-clock air defense training exercise. Photo: com / Zhang Hengping and Yuan Hai

Despite those counter-stealth technologies, stealth aircraft like the B-21 will remain the mainstay of US airpower in the Pacific.

In an August 2022 article for the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs , Mel Deaile notes that while the B-21's capabilities are classified, it is anticipated to significantly enhance the US Air Force's ability to operate in contested environments.

Deaile says a future US airpower strategy must emphasize agile and adaptive tactics that leverage technologies like Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) and unmanned aircraft systems. Such a strategy, he says, would aim to exploit fleeting opportunities and induce strategic paralysis in the enemy.

Deaile writes that the concept of air superiority has evolved from merely dominating the skies to a more complex and dynamic process requiring constant resource allocation and strategic planning.

He adds that quickly adapting to changing scenarios and integrating new technologies like hypersonic weapons is crucial for maintaining air superiority in future conflicts.

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