A Chinese research team, led by Wang Bingqie from the PLA Air Force Early Warning Academy, assessed the US military's capability for tactical nuclear air strikes on China. Their study, published in Modern Defence Technology, surprisingly ranked the B-52 Stratofortress as the biggest threat, surpassing the F-35 and B-2.
The research simulated a US Air Force penetrating counterair (PCA) operation against Chinese naval fleets or inland targets. The PCA strategy considered advanced platforms like F-35A stealth fighters, B-2 Spirit bombers, and drones working together.
The study highlighted the threat posed by US B61-12 air-launched tactical thermonuclear bombs, emphasizing their potential to cripple Chinese anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. The destructive power of these nuclear weapons, exceeding conventional weapons due to blast waves, radiation, and contamination, was a key focus.
Despite the age of the B-52, the study concludes it poses the most significant threat in all phases of a simulated US nuclear strike (deployment, penetration, and strike).
The results of the study, which simulated a US Air Force penetrating counterair (PCA) operation on Chinese naval fleets or inland targets, were published on Friday in China’s leading security journal Modern Defence Technology.
The PCA strategy is based on advanced platforms like F-35A stealth fighters and B-2 Spirit bombers – both capable of carrying nuclear weapons – and drones collaborating in a networked system-of-systems attack.
The paper noted that the US B61-12 air-launched tactical thermonuclear bombs, each equivalent to 300 tonnes of TNT, were “primarily meant for deterrence but could be used to cripple core A2/AD (anti-access/area denial) facilities and critical nodes if necessary”.
“These nuclear-armed platforms enhance lethality through blast waves, radiation penetration, and radioactive contamination, significantly amplifying their destructive power beyond conventional fragmentation and penetration effects,” it said.
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