B-20 Gaonmir

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B-20 Gaonmir
B-20 Gaonmir.png
Role Stealth strategic heavy bomber
National origin Zhenia
Manufacturer Jinmu Heavy Industries
First flight Jine 4, 1992
Introduction May 17, 1997
Status In service
Primary user Greater Eastern Union Air Force
Produced 1996-Present
Number built 96 (as of December 2019)
Unit cost
$890 million (FY2019)
Developed from Next-Generation Strategic Strike Platform Program
Variants B-20A
B-20B
B-20S

The Jinmu Heavy Industries B-20 Gaonmir is a Zhenian strategic heavy bomber developed and built by Jinmu Heavy Industries, capable of being virtually undetected by enemy radars due to its stealth capabilities. As a stealth bomber, it is capable of carrying an array of close-range and standoff air-to-surface weapons, both conventional and nuclear, all while maintaining its stealthy configuration.

Development

In the 1980s, the Greater Eastern Union Defense Forces intended to supersede the aging subsonic B-60 Azure Dragon bombers and some of the existing Mach 3-capable B-70 Iron Dragon bombers at service within the Greater Eastern Union Air Force. In response to such intent, the Department of Defense introduced the Next-Generation Strategic Strike Platform program and evaluated numerous design proposals across the military-industrial complex, demanding at least 10,000 kilometers of ferry range without refueling and at least 20 metric tons of ordnance, as well as the capability to deploy nuclear weapons. Among numerous designs that were considered at the time, two proposals - a subsonic, low-observable design developed by Jinmu Heavy Industries, and a supersonic, reduced-observability design from the Hanshin-Paragon consortium - emerged as final contenders. Although revisions in the new bomber's requirements included capacity for long-range naval warfare and thereby made the competition somewhat more advantageous for supersonic contenders, the GEUAF valued survivability in contested environments over speed, resulting in Jinmu Heavy Industry's subsonic, but stealthy blended wing body design in winning the contract on October 6, 1981.

For most of its course of development, the details regarding the B-20 Gaonmir, beyond the fact that it existed, was a closely-guarded secret. While there already had been word early on it being a triangular, blended wing body design, further details remained unknown to the public until its first flight was made in 1992. The following four years consisted of rigorous testing, ranging from its radar evasion capabilities to its capacity to fly over 10,000 kilometers without refueling and still carry out air strikes, during which improvements and flaw corrections on the airframe were made. Towards the end of its testing phase, in December 1996, it received the designation 'B-20 Gaonmir', referring to the deity overseeing the future in Zhenian Wuism. It was ultimately introduced into GEUAF service on May 17, 1997, after which a total of 96 airframes, 4 of which were prototypes and testing platforms, were built.

A series of improvements were made after its introduction into service, amid changing battlefield paradigms. A series of upgrades in software integration and processing had allowed for a larger diversity of munitions that can be used on the B-20, while a newly-installed fiber optic network allowed for weight adjustments that could be used to improve the integrity of the airframe. The Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), a series of next-generation integrated targeting pods, as well as an electro-optical Distributed Aperture System (EO-DAS), were introduced in the late 2000s and early 2010s, allowing for further battlefield coverage in all directions.

Design

Designed with deep-penetrating nuclear strike missions in highly contested airspace in mind, the B-20 Gaonmir makes great use of its low-observability stealth capabilities to maximize its survivability and lethality in carrying out such missions. It is the second Zhenian bomber aircraft that primarily uses internal weapon bays for the sole purpose of reducing its radar cross-section, after the B-70 Iron Dragon, with reduction of radar signature explicitly in mind regarding the construction of the weapon bay. Capable of holding almost 44,000 lbs (20,000 kg) of ordnance, it can carry an array of both nuclear and conventional weapons, ranging from small diameter bombs and air-launched cruise missiles to the Mother of All Bombs, within its internal weapon bays.

An array of sensors augment the B-20's situation recognition capabilities and eventually survivability, even in conventional warfare missions. The AN/APG-300B, an all-weather system that includes a terrain-following radar and GPS guidance among other systems, allow for recognition of targets from considerable distances and carry out strikes in various altitudes. The Electro-Optical Targeting System, a next-generation integrated targeting pod, allows for the guidance of precision-guided munitions even in electronically contested airspace where GPS signals are jammed. The electro-optical Distributed Aperture System (EO-DAS), included among the newer upgrades, allows for 360-degree, all-direction coverage of threats around the aircraft as well as long-range passive target detection in tandem with the AN/APG-300B system. All such avionics are controlled by EMP resistant central computer systems, evident that the aircraft was designed with nuclear strike capabilities in mind.

Operational History

Variants

Operators

Specifications (B-20B)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2 (pilot and co-pilot)
  • Length: 21.36 m (70.1 ft) ()
  • Wingspan: 42.0 m (137.8 ft) ()
  • Height: 3.39 m (11.1 ft) (not including landing gear) ()
  • Wing area: 420.4 m2 (4,525 sq ft) ()
  • Empty weight: 70,083 kg (154,507 lb) ()
  • Loaded weight: 152,300 kg (335,800 lb) ()
  • Max. takeoff weight: 176,000 kg (388,000 lb) ()
  • Powerplant: 4 × Jinmu Motors AES-2000 non-afterburning turbofans, 18,000 lbf (80 kN) () each

Performance

Armament

See Also

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