China Archives

A second B-21 Raider test aircraft takes off, Sept. 11, from Palmdale, Calif., to join the Air Force’s flight test campaign at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The addition of the second test aircraft expands mission systems and weapons integration testing, advancing the program toward operational readiness. (Courtesy photo)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

New B-21 Raider Bomber: China Thinks It Can Shoot It Out of the Sky

Key Points and Summary – Chinese researchers claim new tactics and missiles could shoot down the B-21, based on a November 2023 simulation that...

Jack BuckbySeptember 16, 2025

U.S. Air Force Airmen with the 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron prepare to recover the second B-21 Raider to arrive for test and evaluation at Edwards AFB, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025. The arrival of a second test aircraft provides maintainers valuable hands-on experience with tools, data and processes that will support future operational squadrons. (U.S Air Force photo by Kyle Brasier)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

B-21 Raider: How China or Russia Could ‘Take Out’ the New Stealth Bomber

Key Points and Summary – America’s B-21 Raider will redefine long-range strike—deployable to Europe or the Indo-Pacific and teamed with B-52 “missile truck” standoff...

Brent M. EastwoodSeptember 16, 2025

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) moves into position for an underway exercise with the British Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001). The future USS Michael Monsoor is the second ship in the Zumwalt-class of guided-missile destroyers. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John Philip Wagner, Jr./Released)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The U.S.-China South China Sea War of 2025: Who Would Win?

Key Points and Summary – “Winning” a U.S.–China clash in the South China Sea isn’t about sinking fleets but achieving political aims. -Week one...

Andrew LathamSeptember 16, 2025

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

China’s J-20 and J-35 Stealth Fighters Are Missing 1 ‘Key Ingredient’

Key Points and Summary – Shiny jets like the J-20 and J-35 don’t win fights—pilots do. -China’s PLAAF flies frequent grey-zone missions near Taiwan,...

Brent M. EastwoodSeptember 15, 2025

An F-15EX Eagle II lands on the flight line after a training operation at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Nov. 15, 2023. The aircraft is able to fly at a speed of Mach 2.5, constituting it as the world’s fastest fighter jet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Tan)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

China’s New J-35 Stealth Fighter vs. F-15EX Eagle II: 1 Word Answer

Key Points and Summary – China’s J-35 leans hard into low observability: internal bays, DSI inlets, canted tails, and sensor fusion for a “first...

Isaac SeitzSeptember 15, 2025

(July 3, 2024) An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to the Saberhawks of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, launches flares near the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during air combat-skills practice in the Pacific Ocean, July 3. HSM 77’s missions include surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and a variety of support roles for Ronald Reagan and Carrier Strike Group 5. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Charlotte Dudenhoeffer)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

The Navy’s Biggest Fear: The Aircraft Carrier Is Obsolete

Key Points and Summary – China’s anti-ship missiles (DF-21D/DF-26) sharpen the question: if aircraft carriers grow too vulnerable, what projects power? -The likely answer...

Steve BalestrieriSeptember 15, 2025