Do you think we'd hear outrage from every Muslim nation in the region?
Yeah. You would.
That's why I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more airplay today. The Chinese just bought the TU-22BM line from the Russians. Check this out from International Aviation News.
China buys from Russia the production line of Tu-22MB bombers for US$1.5 billion including transfer of all the technology for the production.I don't know if the analyst in this piece properly characterized the airplane but he was right about one thing.
China has already imported 6 such bombers as the bombers are much better than China’s own H-6 bombers in bigger load and larger range.The Tu-22MB Tupolev Backfire is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic and maritime surprise strike bomber.According to Chinese military expert Ma Dingsheng, the swing-wing of Tu-22MBenables it to conduct surprise stealth maritime attack. It can first adjust its wings in a position that enables it to fly at super-low attitude without being detected by enemy radar. When it comes near its target, it changes its wing position to enable it to clime up quickly to conduct sudden attack.However, Ma said that for production of the bombers, China still needs quite a few parts that it cannot produce especially the engines. It is said that there is a contract to supply the parts for the production of 36 such bombers.China has to develop its own ability to produce the parts, especially the engines. Otherwise, if Russia refuses to provide more parts, China will be unable to produce more and even have difficulty in maintenance of the bombers.Source: China Times
The TU-22MB is perfect for maritime strike.
US Navy Carrier Forces just got a new threat.
Until China irons out the problems with engines, and procures AShMs for them, and we see a Tu-22M in PLAAF markings, let's not panic.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding was that the Soviets planned on throwing 24 bombers at a Carrier, and accepting mutual annihilation.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese have 36?
I'm not saying they arent a threat, but they arent a giant one.
If china gets really lucky, it might bag two.
If it gets unlucky, it will bag none.
No China is supposedly going to build 36. How many they'll get into service in say ten years remains to be seen. By 2022 the design will only be 50 years old. That's not to say a medium bomber can't be quite useful but it's not like this aircraft and it's NK-25 engines are exactly low observable.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time the USN prepared for anvil attacks from coordinated Soviet Backfire regiments, SSGN's, SSN's, and other assets. It's partly why the Aegis system was developed. Certainly the outer air battle just got more important and maybe the F/A-XX(NGAD) just got a higher priority but as I believe we discussed some months back the sky isn't falling.
Certainly it is a capability boost but it's also says something about the level of Chinese tech that they need to import a 40+ year old design and have it's 40+ year old engines built for it too as opposed to building their own aircraft and engine. It also says something about the confidence in their anti ship ballistic missile system. In any case the most interesting thing about Chinese Backfire's is what they end up being armed with and how long it takes China to figure out how to build them.
What would be interesting would be a TU-22 with modern electronics and weapon set. Because, after all, the airframe itself does not really matter, and the TU-22 is good to fly fast, low, with a lot onboard : using it makes sense, especially since the Chinese (and no one except the US and the Russians) has experience building such kind of massive, supersonic, long endurance, airframe. Just the constraints of opening the large bomb bays at supersonic speed is hard enough to solve !
ReplyDeleteAlso, being russian they'll be mostly mechanical, and thus easier to maintain for less technology savy chinese maintenance crews : not everyone has high-tech maintenance teams like the western airforces and with the chinese fighter forces taking so much ressources, leaving the bomber force with a lower tech-base is a good way to solve this deficiency.
Beside, the plane does not need stealth : you send a first wave of more discreet planes with anti-radar missiles and then unload your heavier AShip missiles from the fast TU-22 who only have to face fighter threat and not your airdefense, thanks to the range of their missiles...
It's a unproven rumor. I seriously doubt China will consider importing a 40 years old design as the centerpiece for their 21st century sea denial warfare.
ReplyDeleteI imagine the technology transfer is more about Chine developing a capability to construct larger combat aircraft - I'd say in ten years time or so they'll be trying to merge the expertise gained from this move with that gained from its burgeoning stealth fighter programme to produce a large stealthy bomber but as always the question will be "it looks as if it could do whatever, but it being Chinese, could it really?"
ReplyDeleteNew threat? Even if this story is true (unlikely) one might want to familiarize themselves with the WWIII GIUK Gap scenario. The USN was made to defeat this very threat. Back in the day the plan was for entire regiments of Backfires armed with AS-4s and AS-16s in conjunction with Oscars armed with SS-N-19 Shipwrecks to go after carriers. And they had Bears and satellites to do the ocean surveillance. This is not something new at all.
ReplyDelete