TIL Desk/World/Washington/ China is actively developing its fleet of long-range bombers and “likely” training its pilots for missions targeting the US, according to a new Pentagon report. “Over the last three years, the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) has rapidly expanded its overwater bomber operating areas, gaining experience in critical maritime regions and likely training for strikes against US and allied targets.
The report, which is mandated by Congress, details Chinese military developments over the previous year. It also says that China is pursuing a nuclear capability on its long-range bombers, saying the Chinese air force “has been re-assigned a nuclear mission”. “The deployment and integration of nuclear capable bombers would, for the first time, provide China with a nuclear ‘triad’ of delivery systems dispersed across land, sea, and air,” the report said.
It says that in addition to the bombers Beijing already operates, “China is developing a stealthy, long-range strategic bomber with a nuclear delivery capability that could be operational within the next 10 years”. China is deploying “increasingly advance military capabilities intended to coerce Taiwan” in a bid to prevent self-governing Taiwan from declaring independence.
