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China in panic after witnessing destruction caused by US' B-2 bombers; experts say Beijing, Xi Jinping must...
The B-2 stealth bomber is the world's most expensive warplane. (File)
B-2 stealth bomber: Earlier this month, the United States decimated Iranian nuclear sites as they used the B-2 stealth bombers to drop the massive 30,000lbs (13.6 tonne) GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP), aka the bunker buster bombs, on Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow nuclear facilities, which purportedly 'completely obliterated' these locations, according to US President Donald Trump.
The US' use of the B-2 stealth bomber in Iran has become a hot topic of discussion among global strategic circles, and has sparked panic among Washington's rivals, including China, who have been stunned at the destructive effectiveness of the sixth-generation bomber jet, especially its ability to fly long distances. Chinese experts in awe of B-2 stealth bomber
The B-2's performance has impressed Chinese experts, who are now calling upon Beijing to develop a similar bomber jet to maintain strategic parity with the United States. According to Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former instructor in China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), nothing, not even a latest 6th-generation fighter jet, can replace strategic bomber, even in an era where long-range attack missiles exist, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
Zhongping notes that strategic bombers have the capability to carry both nuclear and conventional attack, which makes it strategic weapon that could turn the tide in favor of any army. How B-2 stealth bomber destroyed Iranian nuclear sites
On June 22, the US military launched Operation Midnight Hammer, under which seven B-2 stealth bombers breached Iranian airspace and dropped its heavy GBU-57 bunker busting bombs on the country's top nuclear facilities, including Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. The bomber took off from the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and flew for nearly 37 hours, taking the trans-Atlantic route via the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, and entered Iran's airspace from the west or southwest.
This was the the longest mission for the B-2 bomber since 2001.
After bombing Iranian nuclear facilities with impunity, the B-2 stealth bomber fleet left the Iranian airspace and returned without any resistance, a feat that has stunned Chinese experts, who now believe that strategic bombers are very important for the Chinese army due to their utility in attacking anywhere in the world and establishing nuclear deterrence. What makes the B-2 stealth bomber special?
The Northrop B-2 Spirit, commonly known as the B-2 stealth bomber, is a heavy strategic bomber with low-observable stealth technology designed to evade dense anti-aircraft defenses. The B-2 bomber has a special radar-absorbent coating on its body, which absorbs radar signals and prevent them bouncing off the aircraft, significantly reducing detection chances by enemy radars.
This unique technology also increases the B-2's speed, and its sleek body is designed in manner that drastically reduces the plane's radar cross-section.
The B-2 stealth bomber is especially designed to carry heavy bombs, including the GBU-57 bunker buster, which it reportedly dropped on Iran's underground Fordow nuclear site during Sunday's attack. The heavy bomber can also carry nuclear bombs.
Additionally, the B-2 has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, making it capable of carrying out intercontinental strikes.
China is currently flight-testing two different sixth-generation aircraft, the J-36 and J-50, however, even the most advanced 6th-gen stealth fighters are no match for a strategic bomber, due its long-flight capability, and the sheer volume of explosives it can carry, as per analysts.
