Australian experts emphasize that the B-21 bombers are better suited than F-35s to conduct a strike on China.
B-21 Stealth Bomber Can Evade Chinese Radar, Missiles
To deal with China's rising threat to Australia's security, the 2020 defense strategic refresh suggested long-term investments in long-range strike capabilities, noted Defense Minister AU.
Australia and China are isolated by 7,400 kilometers, but Canberra perceives Beijing as a threat. It remains particularly worried about China's broadening military superiority and the potential to become entangled in a larger US-China dispute in the Indo-Pacific region.
Experts indicate that the existence of US military installations in Australia, like the Northwest Cape and Pine Gap, helps make Australia a focus of long-range attacks from China in such a Sino-American dispute over Taiwan, citing Asiatimes.
Just like EurAsian Times highlighted, Australia has bought JASSM-ER (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range) missile systems to complement its Super Hornets and F-35A Lightning II jets, enabling the RAAF to engage the enemy at a distance of up to 900 kilometers.
F-35s Limited Capability
Notwithstanding, the F-35A does not have the range to reach the South China Sea without refueling planes. Even with that, in the center of war, the accessibility of aerial tankers is dubious over disputed airspace.
Moreover, the effective combat distance of the F-35s is only approximately 1,000 kilometers, but with a tanker aircraft, it could be lengthened to about 1,500 kilometers.
This means that although the F-35As were also equipped with JASSM-ER missiles, the RAAF could only interact with objectives up to a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers, which is not enough to protect all of China.
China now has long-range strike weapons over all of Australia, such as long-range bombers and missile batteries that might take out the F-35As on the ground before they could be put into action.
Consequently, since it can make the journey at a great distance in the Indo-Pacific without tanker assistance, the B-21 Raider may be a game-changer for Australia.
A stealth bomber could carry a lot more munitions compared to an F-35. Whereas the accurate cargo of the stealth bomber is unidentified, the ASPI report guesses that it may be somewhere around 75% and 80% of the packet of the aged B-2 stealth bomber.
Arming the B-21 Raider
Based on the report, it says the bomber can load 12 anti-ship strike missiles, with about 50-60 direct attack weapons like JDAMs 500 pounders; it's a comparison to a bomber and fighter.
Furthermore, the ASPI report states that for the strike package of F-35As to reach its destination, it would have to operate from the northern part of Australia, where fuel is limited, and it would have to be restocked from southern Australia via railway or a fleet of trucks.
The bomber can be situated deep inside southern Australia, where it is more conveniently supplied with fuel and munitions and far outside the range of different adversary threat systems.
The B-21 Raider is far better than the F-35 to be used against China because it is more substantial in various aspects.
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