• Images and videos circulating on Chinese social media platform Weibo reportedly reveal that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has conducted one of the first flights of its new JH-20 stealth fighter bomber, designed to replace its aging fleet of JH-7 tactical bombers.
• The JH-20 features a diamond-shaped wing design and other advanced stealth characteristics that appear on the surface to emulate American B-2 stealth bomber aircraft.
• The aircraft is intended to penetrate advanced air defenses, enhance precision-strike capabilities and operated in neighboring contested environments like Taiwan and the South China Sea.
• The JH-20 is part of China’s “20 series” of next-generation aircraft, reflecting the communist nation’s focus on rapidly modernizing its air force and expanding its regional and global military influence.

China has reportedly conducted the maiden flight of its new advanced combat aircraft: a next-generation tactical stealth fighter-bomber.

The bomber, nicknamed the JH-20, is designed to replace the People’s Liberation Army’s aging fleet of Xi’an JH-7 fighter-bomber aircraft, which have been in service with the PLA Naval Air Force and the PLA Air Force since the early 1990s.

Images that circulated on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Dec. 26 appear to show the new fighter-bomber in flight. The aircraft, reportedly being developed by the Xi’an Aircraft Corporation, features stealth characteristics, including a diamond-shaped wing design aimed at reducing its radar cross-section that emulates American stealth B-2 bombers.

Analysts suggest the platform is intended to penetrate advanced air defense systems and enhance China’s precision-strike capabilities. (Related: Mach 7 drone illustrates China’s latest leap in hypersonic technology.)

The new aircraft’s development aligns with China’s strategic focus on modernizing its tactical aviation capabilities. The design’s emphasis on low observability and survivability positions it as a potential key asset in contested environments, particularly in scenarios involving Taiwan or the South China Sea.

American intelligence officials have described the JH-20 – designated by the United States intelligence community as the “JH-XX” due to its current status as an undesignated aircraft – as a regional or tactical bomber with a shorter range and smaller payload capacity.

While specific details about the aircraft’s capabilities remain classified, its size and design suggest it may carry advanced guided missiles, including anti-ship and air-to-ground weapons. Analysts have drawn comparisons to the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft, which has proven its tactical strike capabilities in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

China rapidly expanding its fleet of next-generation military aircraft

The new fighter-bomber is expected to join China’s “20 series” of advanced aircraft, including the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, the Xi’an Y-20 military transport aircraft and the larger Xi’an H-20 stealth strategic bomber, which has a far longer range and bigger payload than the JH-20.

China’s defense sector has made significant strides in recent years, with the J-20 stealth fighter already in squadron-level service. The development of these new platforms reflects China’s focus on countering adversarial air defenses and projecting power beyond its territorial waters.

While the exact roles, production timelines, and operational capabilities of these aircraft remain unclear, their unveiling highlights China’s ambition to dominate the skies in the Asia-Pacific theater and beyond. The absence of official comments from the Chinese government suggests these reveals were strategically orchestrated to maximize impact.

Watch this short video discussing the increasing cooperation between China and Russia when it comes to joint bomber aircraft patrols.

This video is from the Prather Point channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

Defence-Blog.com

MilitaryWatchMagazine.com

TWZ.com

Brighteon.com