China’s upcoming response to the American B-2 bomber, two decades in the making, may alter U.S. military defense posture in the pacific region, according to analysts. Discussing the bomber, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies emphasized that the bomber was a part of a larger modernization program that will likely improve capabilities across sectors. “In terms of power-air projection, it just makes your defensive picture that much more demanding.” Another analyst argued that the bomber would place China on parity with the U.S. as a possessor of the “nuclear triad” comprised of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear submarines, and nuclear-capable strategic aircraft. The bomber will replace the country’s existing Soviet-designed aircraft. “If someone had said 15, 20 years ago that the Chinese were going to be able to develop this, I’d have been very skeptical of it. But given the progress the Chinese have made in the defense aerospace sector over the past two decades, I think it’s now a credible claim.” The plane is expected to be unveiled as early as next year.
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