Latest news with #SongZhongping
AllAfrica
3 days ago
- Business
- AllAfrica
US builds next-generation bunker buster with China in mind
After blasting Iran's nuke bunkers with 13-ton bombs, the US is racing to build a smarter, sleeker penetrator for the next war, possibly with China. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that in the wake of the US Air Force's first combat use of the 13,000-kilogram GBU-57/B massive ordnance penetrator during the June strikes on Iran's Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities under Operation Midnight Hammer, the US Department of Defense has accelerated efforts to develop a successor: the next generation penetrator (NGP). The strikes, which involved 14 MOPs delivered exclusively by B-2 bombers, underscored both the weapon's precision and its operational limitations, particularly in light of the B-21 Raider's reduced payload capacity. A February 2024 US Air Force contracting notice outlines NGP requirements, including sub-9,900-kilogram warheads capable of precision strikes with a circular error probable of within 2.2 meters. Notably, the NGP may feature standoff capability via propulsion systems, improved void-sensing or embedded fuzing technologies, and enhanced or scalable terminal effects. The push for a successor, spurred by lessons from past MOP development and growing global interest in deeply buried facilities, targets adversaries beyond Iran, including North Korea, China, and Russia. The US Air Force aims to receive initial prototypes within two years of contract award, though a complete operational deployment timeline remains unspecified, according to the same February 2024 USAF notice. The future NGP is likely to form part of the Long Range Strike system, alongside platforms like the B-21 and the AGM-181A Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) missile, making it a critical asset for penetrating hardened targets. This need to address hardened targets more effectively, highlighted by possible limitations in the Iran strikes, may have prompted the US to fast-track NGP development, especially with peer adversaries like China in mind. Multiple media outlets cited a leaked US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report stating that US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities failed to destroy the core of the program and merely set it back by months. Du Wenlong noted in the South China Morning Post that Iran's Fordow site lies 80 meters underground, 30 meters deeper than the GBU-57's stated penetration capability, raising doubts as to whether the strike hit critical infrastructure. Song Zhongping said in the same article that although the US dropped 14 bombs, satellite imagery showed six craters, suggesting two bombs may have been aimed at each target, possibly to reinforce penetration. He added that while some infrastructure may have been damaged, complete elimination is implausible. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth downplayed the DIA report's findings, calling them 'preliminary,' and noting that the report itself states battle damage assessment takes weeks to complete. Hegseth said the report was not coordinated with the intelligence community and suffers from low confidence due to information gaps. These Iranian lessons could foreshadow far more complex strike dilemmas in a potential conflict with China. In a November 2024 RAND report, Nathan Beauchamp-Mustafaga and others at RAND noted that if initial US strikes on China's maritime and surface assets fail, the US may need to launch long-range conventional attacks against China's buried inland facilities. Beauchamp-Mustafaga and others wrote that command-and-control nodes and missile storage sites are essential to sustaining People's Liberation Army (PLA) operations. Satellite imagery cited by Newsweek in May 2025 shows a 1,500-acre site dubbed 'Beijing Military City' near Qinglonghu, southwest of the capital, with deep pits believed to house hardened bunkers capable of sheltering China's leadership in a nuclear war. Hans Kristensen and others wrote in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in March 2025 that China built over 320 underground missile silos between 2021 and 2025 at Yumen in Gansu, Hami in Xinjiang, and Ordos in Inner Mongolia, significantly expanding its nuclear deterrent capabilities. They stated these silos, with standardized layouts, are designed for solid-fuel DF-41 ICBMs with potential launch-on-warning capability, supported by hardened command infrastructure and possibly nearby underground storage. They also noted continued DF-5B silo construction, reinforcing survivability through dual platforms. Furthermore, Greg Weaver argued in an April 2025 Atlantic Council report that standoff capability is essential for enhancing US aircraft survivability when striking mainland China. He noted that China's advanced air defenses and long-range missiles pose serious threats to forward-deployed US aircraft, making it vital to use standoff delivery systems that launch from outside the range of Chinese defenses. Yet even with advanced penetrators and standoff options, strikes on the Chinese mainland carry severe risks. In a 2021 Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs article, Brian McLean argued that while some strategists believe China can differentiate between conventional and nuclear attacks, hitting leadership bunkers or missile forces might be mistaken for a decapitation or disarmament attempt. He warned that even conventional strikes affecting China's nuclear posture or regime stability could provoke a nuclear response, especially if China perceives its second-strike capability as compromised. As the US weighs options beyond tactical reach, the broader question of deterrence comes into play. McLean said the best way to avoid escalation may be a strategy of deterrence by denial, convincing China not to attack Taiwan in the first place. However, Chen Xi wrote in a September 2022 article for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) that deterrence by denial hinges on forward-deployed forces and regional basing, both of which are increasingly vulnerable to China's growing missile capabilities and anti-access/area denial systems. Chen cautioned that this posture could fuel perceptions of encirclement or US intent to strike first, raising escalation risks. He also pointed to practical limitations, including the difficulty of dispersing assets across allied territories, uncertain host-nation support, and ambiguous defense commitments that may weaken US credibility.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Could Cambodia hit the Thai capital with its made-in-China weapons?
Cambodia could use Chinese-made weapons to strike Thailand but they would not put the Thai capital within reach, and Beijing is unlikely to stand by if border tensions erupt into military conflict, according to a Chinese analyst. 'China's weapon exports are defensive in nature, and after purchase, ownership and usage rights belong entirely to the recipient country,' former People's Liberation Army instructor Song Zhongping said. 'China would not wish to see two of its traditional friends at war, even over territorial disputes,' he said, adding that Beijing would seek to facilitate negotiations and a ceasefire. 'Thailand is both a traditional friend of China and a traditional ally of the United States, while Cambodia has close ties with China.' 03:41 Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility The assessment follows a report in the Bangkok-based news site The Nation on Friday quoting Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen as saying that his country had weapons 'that can reach Bangkok'.
India.com
6 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
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.
South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US strike on Iran highlights China's need for strategic bombers, analysts say
Strategic bombers remain 'irreplaceable' for China's military – even as it makes progress with sixth-generation fighters and long-range missiles – given their role in global strikes and nuclear deterrence, analysts say. Advertisement They pointed to the American B-2 stealth bombers that hit Iran's three nuclear sites on Saturday, dropping bunker-buster bombs directly over the facilities before returning unscathed. Seven of the B-2 bombers were flown nearly 27,000km (16,700 miles) – supported by more than 100 other aircraft including aerial tankers – in the mission that lasted 37 hours. With China's next-gen stealth bomber, the H-20 , still under development, analysts said the US Air Force operation underscored the importance of these warplanes. 'A dedicated strategic bomber is irreplaceable, even in an era when other long‑range strike options exist,' said Song Zhongping, a military analyst and former People's Liberation Army instructor. Advertisement 'A strategic bomber can carry out both nuclear and conventional attacks. It is a vital weapon for any major military power, and one that cannot be sacrificed for another.'
South China Morning Post
17-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Chinese state media says Fujian aircraft carrier may be commissioned by end of year
The Fujian , China's most advanced aircraft carrier, is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Advertisement In a feature broadcast on Tuesday, the third anniversary of the ship's launch, Wei Dongxu, a CCTV military commentator, said: 'The sea trials of the Fujian have made very good progress and it is expected to enter service this year.' On Monday state media dropped another hint that the ship would soon be entering service by referring to an 'era' when the Chinese navy would have three carriers Satellite images of the ship circulating on social media over the weekend showed 36 newly painted spaces on the flight deck for warplanes, a higher capacity than the country's two existing carriers. Song Zhongping, a military commentator and former PLA instructor, said the new markings suggested that the Fujian 'is getting prepared to be commissioned'. Advertisement 'The aircraft carrier will [then] enter trial service to continue testing the adaptability and coordination between the carrier and aircraft or other weapon systems,' he said.
