NEW DELHI: Just two weeks after the US Air Force's super-secret B-21 Raider stealth bomber quietly made its first flight in California, Chinese researchers have said the aircraft can be taken down by PLA's hypersonic missiles.The Chinese research team staged a virtual duel between the two rivals to see what it would take to win a future air battle, according to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP).The results suggested that, with a combination of advanced hardware and new tactics, China could detect the opponents first.In one simulated war game, a B-21-like stealth platform and its companion drone were both shot down by China’s air-to-air hypersonic missiles, which can reach a top speed of Mach 6.

Eye on ChinaThe B-21 Raider is only capable of cruising at about 1,000km/h (less than Mach 1), but it will play a central role in the US Air Force’s Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) strategy that is tailored towards potential battles with the Chinese military.

The PCA strategy could pose a severe threat to China’s air defence that has relied heavily on radar warning systems based on land, sea or airborne platforms.The next-gen nuclear stealth bomber reportedly has a radar signature as small as a mosquito.

In a conflict, it could get deep behind enemy lines and dump a large number of missiles or bombs on China’s coast, crippling the People’s Liberation Army’s core defence infrastructure, said the report by SCMP.The new bomber will take up its role in the nuclear deterrence triad in the 2030s, just as China builds up its nuclear arsenal.

China develops countermeasuresThe development of the B-21 has forced China to place countermeasures with new technology.China’s hypersonic missiles are built with special features to track and kill stealth aircraft.

Using new solid fuel “pulse engine” that can adjust power output at will throughout the flight, the missile can first go up to near space and come down on the enemy aircraft at an extremely high speed, said the research team.This unusual approach, which is considerably harder to predict and can cover a much longer distance than traditional trajectories.According to the SCMP report, the Chinese military has revealed numerous types of hypersonic missiles but the version for air combat remains classified.

The Chinese Air Force has confirmed that a large and advanced stealth aircraft is also under development but the time of first flight remains uncertain.The number of J-20 aircraft – China’s workhorse stealth fighter – is expected to be larger than the number of America’s F-22 Raptors but considerably lower than the number of their F-35 combat aircraft.

The Chinese military is reportedly also testing a two-seat version of the J-20 that can fly in formation with a number of drones.(With inputs from agencies)