China Is Building a New Long-Range Bomber

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is working on developing a new long-range strategic bomber, but there are scant details available about the project. Beijing currently relies on the Xian H-6K cruise missile carrier—which is a highly modernized derivative of the 1950s-era Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 Badger—for long-range strike capability, but the aircraft does not have the ability to penetrate enemy airspace nor does it have the range to attack the U.S. mainland.

“We are now developing a new generation of long-range bomber, and you’ll see it in the future,” PLAAF chief Gen. Ma Xiaotian said on Sept. 1 at the PLAAF Aviation University in Changchun according to China’s Global Times. But Ma offered no further details about the Chinese bomber project.

PLA to commission more third-generation warships this year

After commissioning three Type 052C guided-missile destroyers — Changchun, Zhengzhou and Jinan — between 2013 and 2014, a destroyer division of the PLA Navy’s East Sea Fleet based in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province is expected to soon get its fourth destroyer, Xian, equipped with the Zhonghuashendun system also known as the Chinese Aegis.

Risky Business

Being that North Korea is a proxy state for China, it’s not likely that the Communist ally would launch a war without permission from their handlers in the CCP. That’s of course not to say it would diminish the likelyhood they’d get the green light as China itself would surely take up preparations long beforehand, for any eventuality as a result.

Military buildup in China near North Korean border continues as tanks, armored vehicles spotted

China continued moving tanks and armored vehicles and flying flights near North Korea this week as part of a military buildup in the northeastern part of the country that U.S. officials say is related to the crisis with North Korea.