Exclusive: China Identifies U.S. B-52H Bomber as Primary Threat in Tactical Nuclear Strike
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According to information published by the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper, on May 21, 2025, a high-level threat assessment by Chinese defense experts has identified the U.S. Air Force’s B-52H Stratofortress bomber as the most formidable platform in a simulated American tactical nuclear strike against China. The study, led by Wang Bingqie of the PLA Air Force Early Warning Academy in Wuhan and published in the security journal Modern Defence Technology, evaluated a range of U.S. air assets in a penetrating counterair (PCA) operation against both Chinese maritime forces and inland military installations. Despite its age, the B-52H emerged as the most effective across all mission phases, including deployment, airspace penetration, and strike execution.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress in flight during a strategic bomber patrol. Despite its Cold War origins, the B-52H remains a core element of America’s nuclear deterrent and has been identified by Chinese military analysts as the top threat in a simulated U.S. tactical nuclear strike on China. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)
Originally introduced in the 1950s during the Cold War, the U.S. B-52H bomber has undergone extensive modernization and remains a critical component of the United States’ nuclear triad. According to the Military Balance 2025 published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the U.S. Air Force currently operates 58 B-52H bombers, of which 46 are certified to deliver nuclear weapons. These bombers form the backbone of the air-based leg of America’s nuclear deterrent.
The B-52H is capable of carrying a range of nuclear payloads, with primary nuclear armament consisting of the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), which can be equipped with a W80-1 thermonuclear warhead. The W80-1 has a variable yield capability, typically set between 5 and 150 kilotons, offering strategic and tactical flexibility. In the near future, the B-52H is expected to integrate the next-generation AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missile, also fitted with a W80-series warhead, designed to penetrate increasingly sophisticated enemy air defenses while preserving stand-off launch capability.
This ability to deliver nuclear strikes from outside enemy radar and missile coverage gives the B-52H strategic depth unmatched by most other delivery platforms. With a combat radius of over 7,200 km unrefueled and aerial refueling capability extending its global reach, the B-52H can loiter for extended durations and launch coordinated strikes with minimal warning. The bomber is also fully integrated into the U.S. Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) framework, allowing it to participate in real-time data exchange and multi-platform targeting missions.
For China, the prominence of the B-52H in U.S. nuclear doctrine presents multiple challenges. While Chinese air defenses, including the HQ-9B and imported Russian S-400 systems, are designed to create a layered denial environment, the standoff range of B-52-launched cruise missiles largely neutralizes these measures. Additionally, the bomber’s capacity to deliver multiple independent precision-guided munitions increases the threat to hardened or mobile targets, including key command infrastructure and strategic missile units.
The U.S. maintains its air-based nuclear strike capability for several reasons. Unlike ICBMs or SLBMs, air-launched systems offer a visible and recallable nuclear option that strengthens deterrence and enables nuanced escalation control. Airborne platforms can also be repositioned to signal resolve or deter aggression without crossing strategic thresholds. This flexibility is especially critical in a world where peer adversaries such as China and Russia continue to modernize their nuclear forces and challenge the credibility of American extended deterrence commitments to allies in Asia and Europe.
In this context, the Chinese assessment underscores not only the enduring value of the U.S. B-52H bomber but also the broader strategic implications of legacy platforms when paired with next-generation weapon systems. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific grow more volatile, Beijing’s military planners are increasingly focused on countering the long-range nuclear strike capabilities of the United States, particularly those that can bypass or overwhelm its integrated air defense systems with a mix of legacy endurance and modern lethality.
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According to information published by the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper, on May 21, 2025, a high-level threat assessment by Chinese defense experts has identified the U.S. Air Force’s B-52H Stratofortress bomber as the most formidable platform in a simulated American tactical nuclear strike against China. The study, led by Wang Bingqie of the PLA Air Force Early Warning Academy in Wuhan and published in the security journal Modern Defence Technology, evaluated a range of U.S. air assets in a penetrating counterair (PCA) operation against both Chinese maritime forces and inland military installations. Despite its age, the B-52H emerged as the most effective across all mission phases, including deployment, airspace penetration, and strike execution.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress in flight during a strategic bomber patrol. Despite its Cold War origins, the B-52H remains a core element of America’s nuclear deterrent and has been identified by Chinese military analysts as the top threat in a simulated U.S. tactical nuclear strike on China. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)
Originally introduced in the 1950s during the Cold War, the U.S. B-52H bomber has undergone extensive modernization and remains a critical component of the United States’ nuclear triad. According to the Military Balance 2025 published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the U.S. Air Force currently operates 58 B-52H bombers, of which 46 are certified to deliver nuclear weapons. These bombers form the backbone of the air-based leg of America’s nuclear deterrent.
The B-52H is capable of carrying a range of nuclear payloads, with primary nuclear armament consisting of the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), which can be equipped with a W80-1 thermonuclear warhead. The W80-1 has a variable yield capability, typically set between 5 and 150 kilotons, offering strategic and tactical flexibility. In the near future, the B-52H is expected to integrate the next-generation AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missile, also fitted with a W80-series warhead, designed to penetrate increasingly sophisticated enemy air defenses while preserving stand-off launch capability.
This ability to deliver nuclear strikes from outside enemy radar and missile coverage gives the B-52H strategic depth unmatched by most other delivery platforms. With a combat radius of over 7,200 km unrefueled and aerial refueling capability extending its global reach, the B-52H can loiter for extended durations and launch coordinated strikes with minimal warning. The bomber is also fully integrated into the U.S. Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) framework, allowing it to participate in real-time data exchange and multi-platform targeting missions.
For China, the prominence of the B-52H in U.S. nuclear doctrine presents multiple challenges. While Chinese air defenses, including the HQ-9B and imported Russian S-400 systems, are designed to create a layered denial environment, the standoff range of B-52-launched cruise missiles largely neutralizes these measures. Additionally, the bomber’s capacity to deliver multiple independent precision-guided munitions increases the threat to hardened or mobile targets, including key command infrastructure and strategic missile units.
The U.S. maintains its air-based nuclear strike capability for several reasons. Unlike ICBMs or SLBMs, air-launched systems offer a visible and recallable nuclear option that strengthens deterrence and enables nuanced escalation control. Airborne platforms can also be repositioned to signal resolve or deter aggression without crossing strategic thresholds. This flexibility is especially critical in a world where peer adversaries such as China and Russia continue to modernize their nuclear forces and challenge the credibility of American extended deterrence commitments to allies in Asia and Europe.
In this context, the Chinese assessment underscores not only the enduring value of the U.S. B-52H bomber but also the broader strategic implications of legacy platforms when paired with next-generation weapon systems. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific grow more volatile, Beijing’s military planners are increasingly focused on countering the long-range nuclear strike capabilities of the United States, particularly those that can bypass or overwhelm its integrated air defense systems with a mix of legacy endurance and modern lethality.
