Summary and Key Points: China's long-anticipated Xi'an H-20 stealth bomber remains shrouded in mystery, with no official unveiling in sight. Despite state media hints and promises of its debut, the aircraft will not be showcased at Airshow China 2023.

-The bomber, designed to rival the U.S. B-21 Raider, has faced development challenges, according to U.S. Department of Defense sources.

-Experts suggest that engineering difficulties may have stalled progress, leaving aviation enthusiasts and military analysts to wonder when—or if—the H-20 will make its long-awaited debut.

-For now, the world remains in suspense, awaiting confirmation of China's stealth capabilities.

Where Is China's Mysterious H-20 Bomber? Delays Continue Amid High Expectations

China has long been described as a land of mystery. Though it has increasingly touted its military build-up, details on some of its "still-in-progress" programs are rarely in the spotlight. That is certainly the case with its long-awaited Xi'an H-20 bomber.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has barely acknowledged the aircraft's existence, and there have only been scant details released publicly. It was more than two years ago that state media outlet The Global Times reported that the flight test for an aircraft of "strategic, historic significance" was set to take place. Whether the flight occurred isn't known.

However, aviation buffs don't believe that Beijing's stealth "flying wing" bomber that is meant to rival the U.S. Air Force's Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider has made its maiden flight. And according to the latest reports, progress on the Chinese aircraft may not be as far along as some reports have suggested.

Will the H-20 Stealth Bomber Ever Get a Debut?

There have been repeated promises that the aircraft would be officially unveiled, and it was in March Newsweek quoted People's Liberation Army Air Force Deputy Commander Wang Wei as saying, "It's coming soon, just wait!"

That "wait" doesn't exactly look to be over.

The Global Times reported on Wednesday that the H-20 won't likely be among the aircraft exhibited at the show. The state-run news outlet reported that the PLAAF announced this week that its "newly developed warplanes will make their first public appearance during a flight performance at the upcoming 15th Airshow China."

Held in event years, and officially known as the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, it is the largest airshow and aerospace trade expo in China. It has taken place every two years since 1996, although the 2020 expo was delayed a year. It is held in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, and this year's event will take place from November 12 to 17. Beijing has already announced plans to showcase drones and counter-drone systems at this year's expo, but based on the report, it doesn't appear that the H-20 will be among the stars of the show – at least not this year.

"We want to display the PLA Air Force's capabilities and confidence in firmly defending national sovereign unity and territorial integrity, and positively convey its vision and voice of safeguarding peace, openness for cooperation and equal communication," Lieutenant General Yu Qingjiang, vice commander of the PLAAF said in a press conferencing, announcing what aircraft will be at the show.

The Global Times also spoke with Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, who told the outlet that "rapid progress in new warplane development had been made" but he said that the H-20 was "not ready for a debut."

Is China Worried?

The fact that Chinese media acknowledged that there is anticipation to see the bomber serves to highlight that the world knows the bomber exists – so why wouldn't it be presented at Airshow China this year?

It may be due to comments made earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Defense intelligence officials, who publicly dismissed the capabilities of the Xi'an strategic bomber.

"The thing with the H-20 is when you actually look at the system design, it's probably nowhere near as good as US LO [low observable] platforms, particularly more advanced ones that we have coming down," an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in a briefing with reporters at the Pentagon, as reported by Breaking Defense.

"They've run into a lot of engineering design challenges, in terms of how do you actually make that system capability function in a similar way to, like, a B-2 or a B-21," the official added.

Could those statements be correct that the development of the H-20 has hit a snag? It is also notable the comments were made by the Pentagon official after the PLAAF's Wang suggested it would be unveiled soon.

"You may choose to unveil it just because they want to show that they’re a great, you know, military power," the DoD intelligence official noted. "That doesn't necessarily mean it actually delivers them the kind of capability that they would need or at the quantity that they would need."

Whether the Pentagon's dismissal of the Xi'an H-20 is why it likely won't be getting its official debut remains and unknown, but for now it looks like anyone waiting for the curtain to be pulled back on the bomber will need to be patient. It is possible it could get its unveiling at another event – or maybe it will finally be the star attraction at Airshow China 2026!

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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