Hot Take: Strategic Bombers are obsolete!!
#USAF & #Indianairforce engaged in #Copeindia2023 & the former bought #B1B and are making #B21. The #Chinese are building new H-6Ks. The #Russians are building new #Tu160. You ask, #εpsilon why do you think bombers are obsolete?

Coz, in a peer conflict, none of these will be used as strategic bombers as that role is behind them. These will be used as #Cruisemissile carriers that will never do old school bombing until all enemy AD is down. Pic credits: #Indianairforce

Look at #Russians for eg. In #Syria, they used #Tu22M as old school bombers as the AD threat was very low. In #Ukraine, these are launching missiles from well inside #Russian and #Belarussian territories.

Look at the #USAF. Why do they fly #B2 on like 12 hour missions from home base to the #MiddleEast and back to drop a few bombs. The #USAF practises long ranged missions to make sure its crews are ready for long loiters and can launch missiles from anywhere anytime.

While a descendent of the #Tu16, the #Chinese H-6K is a proper cruise missile carrier and has been seen with a bunch of cruise missiles over its service life. Unless they are bombing 0 AD area, these will never do old school fly over a target and drop bombs.

And anyways, if there is no AD threat, tactical fighters or drones like #BayraktarTB2 and #MQ9 which can do it for a much lower cost per hour. Hence, Strategic Bombers are obsolete, we have just repurposed them to be Strategic Missiles Cruise Carriers.