But Questions Linger If Photos Are Legitimate

Photographs circulating on the Internet are purported be of a new Chinese long-range stealth bomber that looks very similar to the U.S. B-2, but some are questioning the authenticity of the photographs.

Grainy images appeared on the Chinese website Tiexue that show an airplane taxiing on what is said to be Chinese soil, according to a report from the blog The Complex, which is focused on military issues and affiliated with Foreign Policy magazine. The person who posted the pictures said it was a stealth bomber, refuting those who suggested that the aircraft might be an unmanned weapons system.

The editor in chief of the top publication for the Royal Aeronautical Society in London Tim Robinson posted the link on Twitter early last week, but would not authenticate the images. His Tweet asked "Photoshop or another LO surprise from China?

Chinese civilians blogging about military activity is fairly common, and some say that the Chinese government tacitly endorses the practice by allowing such posts to remain online. Last year, for instance, a video of the J-20 "Annihilator" fifth-generation jet was posted online. The Chinese are reportedly developing the J-20 to have many of the same capabilities as the F-35.

It is not known if the Chinese have been able to acquire B-2 technology. In 2010, an Indian-born U.S. who had been one of the main designers of the B-2 was convicted of selling cruise missile technology to China. Noshir Gowadia said he and a Chinese co-conspirator had been planning to market his knowledge of the B-2 in China.

(Image from Tiexue website)

FMI: www.state.gov