On February 6, 2024, the US military’s B-52 bombers, F-15C, F-16CM, F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, E/A-18 electric combat aircraft and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 and F- 15MJ fighter jets participated in the “Cope North 24” exercise over Tinian and Saipan. (U.S. Air Force)
[The Epoch Times, February 11, 2024]On February 2, US bombers participated in air strikes in the Middle East. They also made frequent appearances in the Western Pacific, once again showing off their trump card to the CCP. In contrast, the air strike capabilities of the Chinese Communist Air Force are poor. If the Rocket Force missiles are basically completed, subsequent attack capabilities will be significantly weakened. The Chinese Communist Party’s military continues to promote “preparing for war” or “winning”, but its serious weakness in air strike capabilities means that it has little chance of winning in actual combat.
US bombers are one of the trump cards for victory
On January 28, the Tower 22 base of the US military in Jordan was attacked by a drone, killing three US soldiers and injuring more than 40 people. On February 2, the US military launched retaliatory air strikes, attacking 7 facilities and more than 85 targets supported by Iranian armed forces in Iraq and Syria, including command and control centers, intelligence centers and rockets, missiles, drones, ammunition storage, supply facilities.
According to reports, the US military dispatched B-1B and B-2 bombers from the mainland, and fighter jets deployed in the Central Command’s area of responsibility were also dispatched to jointly carry out air strikes, dropping a total of more than 125 precision munitions. The role of bombers in large-scale air raids was once again evident. The U.S. Central Command used social media to show a short video of a B-1B bomber taking off from homeland and heading towards the Middle East.
The B-1B Lancer is a supersonic heavy long-range bomber developed at the end of the Cold War. It entered service in 1985 and participated in actual combat for the first time during Operation Desert Fox in 1998. In 1999, in the air strike mission against Serbia, the US military used 6 B-1B bombers. The number of sorties accounted for only 2% of all fighter sorties, but the amount of bombs dropped exceeded 20% of the total amount of bombs dropped. During the 2001 Afghanistan War, the US military dispatched 8 B-1B bombers and dropped approximately 3,900 bombs.
The B-1B bomber fully demonstrates the advantage of bomb load capacity. The built-in bomb bay has a capacity of 75,000 pounds (34,000 kilograms) and can carry up to 84 bombs. The external bomb bay has a capacity of 50,000 pounds (23,000 kilograms) and can carry up to 44 bombs. It can also carry At least 24 AGM-158 missiles or AGM-154 standoff weapons; it can also carry mines, B-61 nuclear bombs, etc.
The U.S. military has 42 B-1B bombers in active service, which often appear around the world. They are one of the most powerful weapons to deter the Chinese Communist Army in the Western Pacific. The B-1B bomber has a maximum range of 11,998 kilometers, a low-altitude speed of Mach 0.95 (approximately 1,163.79 kilometers/hour), and a high-altitude speed of Mach 1.2 (approximately 1,470.1 kilometers/hour). It can attack from the homeland or dynamically deploy in Guam. It recently visited Singapore briefly. Stay.
On January 24, 2024, a US military B-1B Lancer bomber took off from Paya Lebar Air Force Base in Singapore. (U.S. Air Force)
Long-range bombers are the embodiment of the US military’s global strike capabilities. They can quickly carry out large-scale air strikes and are one of the US military’s trump cards.
B-2 bombers also participated in the air raid
The U.S. military did not disclose detailed information about the air strike on February 2, but the U.S. military website USNI reported that B-2 bombers also participated in the Middle East mission.
Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan approved the B1 and B-2 bomber projects at the same time. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber adopts many newly developed technologies and becomes the world’s first stealth bomber, capable of carrying out penetrating attack missions. The B-2 bomber entered service in 1997, with a maximum range of 11,000 kilometers and a maximum flight speed of Mach 0.95. There are 17 B-2 bombers in active service. It can carry nuclear and conventional weapons and has a built-in bomb bay capacity of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms).
In 1999, B-2 bombers participated in air strikes in the Kosovo War. NATO fighter aircraft of all types flew a total of 34,000 sorties. The B-2 only flew 50 sorties, but dropped 11% of the total bombs. From 2003 to 2011, B-2 bombers dropped a total of 1,500,000 pounds (680,000 kilograms) of munitions in air strikes in Iraq, and later participated in air strikes in Libya and against the ISIS terrorist organization.
On January 16, 2024, a B-2 bomber flew at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, the United States. (U.S. Air Force)
On February 2, the B-1B and B-2 bombers appeared in actual combat at the same time. It seemed that they were overkill, but more importantly, they showed the strength of the Chinese Communist Party. B-2 bombers can covertly conduct air strikes on the CCP’s Rocket Force bases and other high-value targets. After the end of the Cold War, there was no further mass production of the B-2 bomber. However, related technologies laid the foundation for the B-21 stealth bomber, which was quickly put into production after the project was established and will soon become another signature weapon to deter the CCP.
The US military also has the third B-52 Stratofortress bomber, which was put into service in 1955 and has been in service for 69 years. However, due to its low cost and easy operation, it will be in service until 2050 after continuous upgrades. There are 72 aircraft in active service. The B-52 bomber has both nuclear and conventional capabilities, has a maximum flight range of 16,232 kilometers, and can carry about 70,000 pounds (31,500 kilograms) of various types of ammunition.
In the 1991 Gulf War, B-52 bombers flew approximately 1,620 sorties and dropped 40% of the Allied air strike munitions. In the 2001 Afghanistan War, B-52s dropped 1/3 of allied air strike munitions.
On February 3, 2024, a US military B-52H Stratofortress bomber prepared to take off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. (U.S. Air Force)
B-52 bombers are currently deployed in Guam and participated in the recent “Cope North 24” (Cope North 24) exercise held in the Pacific. The three long-range bombers of the US military represent the US military’s large-scale long-range air strike capabilities. China’s bombers pale in comparison.
The air strike capabilities of the Chinese Communist Party’s H-6 bombers
The CCP has only one H-6 bomber, which always bears the shadow of the former Soviet bomber Tu-16. The Tu-16 actually copied the American B-29 bomber from World War II. The former Soviet Union transferred Tu-16 bomber technology to the CCP, helped build factories, and sent prototypes and spare parts. The Chinese Communist Party’s self-produced Tu-16 first flew in 1968 and was renamed H-6. Since then, it has been difficult for the CCP to obtain former Soviet/Russian bomber technology, including Tu-22M, Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers. Therefore, the CCP can only make changes based on the H-6.
After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the CCP obtained some advanced airborne equipment and technology from the United States. In 2011, the Chinese Communist Party’s latest H-6K entered service. The naval version is the H-6N, but it can only claim to have a maximum range of 7,200 kilometers and a combat radius of 3,500 kilometers. It is still not a long-range bomber and cannot threaten the U.S. mainland. In order to increase the range, the H-6K changed the belly bomb bay into a fuel tank, leaving only 6 weapon hardpoints.
The H-6K can carry the Changjian-20 air-to-ground cruise missile, which has a claimed range of 1,500 kilometers and threatens Guam. The Changjian-20 is an imitation of the former Soviet KH-55 missile, which the CCP first obtained from Ukraine. Russia has upgraded its KH-55 missiles, which were widely used after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but U.S. Department of Defense sources believe their success rate is low, saying they “either cannot be launched, cannot hit the target, or cannot Explodes on contact.”
H-6 bombers also carry anti-ship cruise missiles YJ-83, variants of which are constantly being used by the Houthis in Yemen, but the success rate is relatively low. On February 6, the U.S. Central Command stated that the Houthi organization in Yemen launched 6 anti-ship missiles that day, 3 of which attempted to attack a merchant ship, and 1 exploded near the ship, causing minor damage, but no one was injured; 1 Two fell into nearby waters, and one was intercepted by the US military. Another three missiles tried to attack another merchant ship, but they all fell into nearby waters and had no impact.
The H-6 bomber is newly equipped with YJ-12 and Dongfeng-21D anti-ship missiles. The YJ-12 claims to have a range of 400 kilometers, but it weighs about 3 tons and the warhead weighs only 300 kilograms. The H-6 bomber claims to have a bomb load of 15 tons, but it cannot actually carry 6 YJ-12 missiles. At the Zhuhai Air Show in 2022, the H-6K bomber was unveiled, but it only carried two Dongfeng-21D missiles.
On November 3, 2022, the Chinese Communist Party’s H-6K bomber arrived at the Zhuhai Air Show, with only 2 missiles mounted on 6 external hardpoints. (VCG/VCG via Getty ImagesΔ)
The Chinese Communist Party’s H-6 bombers should be mainly used to target the US fleet, but the missiles they can carry are really limited and can only be used as an auxiliary to land-based anti-ship missiles. The US military’s F-15EX fighter jet has an external weapons capacity of 13.4 tons and a total of 12 external weapon points, while the H-6 has only 6. The H-6 is relatively slow. In order to ensure speed and range and take off safely, it is likely that it will have to carry two missiles.
The air strike capability of the H-6 bomber is incomparable with that of US bombers, and it can hardly support the landing battle in the Taiwan Strait.
On February 5, 2024, fighter jets from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and France participating in the “Cope North 24” exercise demonstrated an elephant walk on the runway at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. (U.S. Air Force)
The Chinese Communist Army lacks follow-up strike capabilities
If the CCP fights against Taiwan, the Rocket Force will first launch a missile attack, and then the landing fleet will begin to approach the landing. At this time, it is still very necessary to carry out large-scale precision air strikes on the landing site to further destroy defensive positions and equipment. However, it is difficult for the Chinese Air Force to do so. at this point.
The H-6 bomber cannot carry out large-scale air strikes, and the Chinese Communist Party’s air-launched YJ-12 and Dongfeng-21D anti-ship missiles are too large and heavy. Only the H-6 bomber can carry them and should be mainly used to deal with the US military. fleet.
The J-16, the CCP’s main fighter jet, can carry the air-launched YJ-83 anti-ship missile and the variant air-to-surface missile KD-88. The Houthi organization frequently uses it in the Red Sea, but the effect is poor. The J-16 can also carry precision-guided bombs, but they are estimated to be less effective than Russia. The J-16 should be mainly used in air combat across the Taiwan Strait.
The British intelligence department announced that the Russian army has recently increased the number of air strikes on the front line in eastern Ukraine. The number of fighter jets dispatched per day has increased from 30 to 50. In the past four weeks, about 600 guided munitions have been dropped, but the accuracy is poor and failed to Effectively suppress the Ukrainian military defense line. The Russian fighter planes were worried about being hit by anti-aircraft missiles, so they dropped bombs from a distance and then left. The Chinese air force will not perform better than the Russian military.
The Russian army has Su-30 and Su-35 multi-purpose fighter jets, as well as Su-34 fighter jets specially used for ground strikes; but the Chinese Communist Party currently only has J-16, J-11 and some imported Su-30 and Su-35. There is no Su-34 yet, and some relatively backward JH-7s are still retained. It is difficult to effectively implement ground support tasks in the Taiwan Strait landing battle.
The CCP’s main fighter jets, the J-16 and J-20, will be exhausted and reluctant to deal with air combat, and the air strike mission will probably have to be put aside. The limited air strike mission may eventually fall on the J-10 fighter jets and JH-7. Although the risks are extremely high, the pilots will probably be forced to take risks. If the KD-88 missile is not useful or sufficient, the J-10 and JH-7 can only carry rockets, carry out dive attacks, or drop bombs at close range. However, in front of Taiwan’s air defense network, similar tasks are tantamount to suicide. .
When the Chinese Communist Party’s landing fleet encountered precision air strikes from the U.S. and coalition forces, the Chinese Communist Party’s air force could only try to compete for air supremacy and was unable to carry out large-scale air strikes against Taiwan. After the CCP’s DF-16, DF-15, and DF-11 are all used up, they can probably only be bombarded with long-range rocket launchers; after the CCP’s DF-17, DF-21, and DF-26 missile stocks bottom out, it will be difficult to maintain control of the missiles. sea strike capability.
The Chinese Communist Party’s huge army can no longer use human sea tactics, and the Chinese Communist Party’s navy lacks air support. Once a conflict breaks out in the Western Pacific, air power will determine the outcome. The joint air strikes by U.S. bombers and coalition fighter jets will leave the CCP helpless, while the CCP Air Force will find it difficult to fight back.
On February 6, 2024, the US military’s B-52 bombers, F-15C, F-16CM, F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, E/A-18 electric combat aircraft and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s F-2 and F- 15MJ fighter jets participated in the “Cope North 24” exercise over Tinian and Saipan. (U.S. Air Force)
The constant appearance of US bombers in the Middle East and the Western Pacific is a warning to the CCP that the US military can use its trump card to determine victory or defeat at any time, but the CCP does not have such capabilities. As the commander of the US military’s Indo-Pacific said, there is no such thing as a “quick war”; he also mentioned a “hellscape.” The generals of the Chinese Communist Army should have known their key weaknesses for a long time. The so-called “prepare for war” or “win” are just slogans.
The Epoch Times first
Editor in charge: Gao Yi#
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2024-02-11 01:53:09
