The Xi'an H-20 (; alternatively Xi'an H-X) is a projected subsonic

stealth bomber Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar, infrared, visible light, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, and audio, collectively known as stealth technology. The F-117 N ...

design of the

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

. It is referred to as a strategic project by the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

, and will be the first dedicated

strategic bomber A strategic bomber is a medium- to long-range Penetrator (aircraft), penetration bomber aircraft designed to drop large amounts of air-to-ground weaponry onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating the enemy's capacity to wage war. Unl ...

developed by China. The development of a strategic bomber was revealed in September 2016.Grossman et al.: page 50

Design and development

In 2016,

(PLAAF) general Ma Xiaotian announced that China was developing a new type of long-range bomber on the air force's open day. In 2018, a Chinese military spokesperson confirmed the development was making "great progress". According to the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

, the H-20 is expected to be a

flying wing A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft that has no definite fuselage, with its crew, payload, fuel, and equipment housed inside the main wing structure. A flying wing may have various small protuberances such as pods, nacelles, blis ...

with a range of at least 8,500 km and a payload capacity of at least 10 tonnes; according to the

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation, doing business as RAND, is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND engages in research and development (R&D) in several fields and industries. Since the ...

, an American funded thinktank, it will allow China "to reliably threaten U.S. targets within and beyond the Second Island Chain, to include key U.S. military bases in Guam and Hawaii."Grossman et al.: page 54 The payload is projected to be at least 10 tonnes of conventional or nuclear weapons. Throughout the years, multiple models and computer-generated pictures have surfaced on the internet, some published by

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

s run by state-owned defense companies. Defense analysts have noted several recurring features on these models, including

serrated Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied pr ...

air intakes, cranked-kite wings, and foldable

twin tail A twin tail is a type of vertical stabilizer arrangement found on the empennage of some aircraft. Two vertical stabilizers—often smaller on their own than a single conventional tail would be—are mounted at the outside of the aircraft's ho ...

surfaces that can be switched between being horizontal

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabilizer, is a small lift (force), lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters ...

s and

V-tail The V-tail or ''vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraf ...

s. In July 2022, Chinese

state media State media are typically understood as media outlets that are owned, operated, or significantly influenced by the government. They are distinguished from public service media, which are designed to serve the public interest, operate independent ...

suggested the H-20 was close to taking its maiden flight. In March 2024, during the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, vice commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, Wang Wei, indicated that H-20 will be revealed "very soon".Deputy Commander of the Air Force: The new generation strategic bomber-H-20 will be announced to the public!
/ref> In December 2024, it was indicated that the new bomber may not be fully operational until the 2030s. In January 2025, some images on Chinese social media indicated that test flights of the new bomber had potentially taken place but were not officially confirmed.

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Xi'an H-20 Chinese bomber aircraft H-20 Stealth aircraft Strategic bombers Proposed military aircraft

Design and development

See also

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