Chilly Battle-era H-6 bomber enhances China’s means to strike U.S. bases

In a collection of battle video games within the seas and skies round Taiwan in October 2024, China deployed a few of its latest strike plane, warships and missile forces. Nonetheless, one of the vital menacing weapons used within the drills is an up to date model of a bomber that first flew within the early years of the Chilly Battle.

Just like the U.S., which nonetheless depends on upgraded variations of the B-52, a bomber from the identical period, China has efficiently modernised its jet-powered H-6 to hold on flying deep into the twenty first century.

These bombers had been proven on China’s state-controlled media taking off for missions designed to intimidate Taiwan as a part of the war-game drills. Dubbed Joint-Sword 2024B by China’s navy, the manoeuvres had been a “stern warning” to individuals on Taiwan looking for independence, the Chinese language navy stated.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection reported that 153 Chinese language navy plane, 14 naval vessels and 12 different ships had been detected across the island over a 25-hour interval after the beginning of the train on October 14. The ministry additionally reported that 111 of the plane had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered the island’s Air Protection Identification Zone (ADIZ).

ALSO READ: Stopping a China-Taiwan battle

Taiwan’s defence ministry informed Reuters that “three teams of three H-6 plane” had been detected working within the island’s air area throughout China’s navy train. Two of the teams “carried out simulated assault drills,” the ministry stated.

China’s defence ministry didn’t reply to questions for this story.

H-6 capabilities

Some modernised variations of China’s H-6 bomber at the moment are able to launching ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads whereas others can carry a number of long-range anti-ship and land assault missiles, based on defence analysts and Pentagon stories on the Chinese language navy. Some variations might be refuelled in flight, permitting them to fly from bases on the Chinese language mainland and strike at targets deep into the Western Pacific, the place the U.S. has giant bases on Guam and elsewhere.

Requested concerning the navy drills, Taiwan’s defence ministry stated the island was utilizing “joint intelligence surveillance to maintain monitor of the communist navy’s actions round Taiwan,” whereas additionally dispatching “air, sea and missile forces to reply as applicable to make sure nationwide protection and safety.”

Main Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated the U.S. was “ready to reply to any menace and defend the homeland.” U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “has usually stated that he doesn’t consider battle with the PRC is imminent nor inevitable,” Nguyen stated in response to questions.

Beijing says that Taiwan is a part of China and has not dominated out the usage of power to deliver the island underneath its management. The leaders of democratically ruled Taiwan reject these sovereignty claims.

China’s navy capabilities are within the highlight as tensions with the U.S. stay excessive with Donald Trump returning to workplace. In a show of its rising navy prowess, China put its J-35A stealth fighter on show on the Zhuhai air present this week.

Severe menace

In contrast to America, which stopped constructing the B-52 in 1962, China has continued to make the twin-engine H-6 at a plant in central China. Nonetheless, H-6 manufacturing could have not too long ago slowed or been halted, based on Thomas Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submarine officer and an skilled on China’s navy. He estimates the Chinese language air power now has about 230 of those bombers.

The H-6 is derived from the Tupolev Tu-16 bomber, which the Soviet Union launched into service within the early Fifties and was given the NATO code identify Badger. China started constructing these plane underneath license within the late Fifties, based on consultants on the Individuals’s Liberation Military, China’s navy.

The Taiwanese and Japanese militaries have reported that H-6 bombers have been often deployed on flights close to their airspace lately. They’re additionally despatched on flights over the South China Sea the place Beijing claims sovereignty over in depth areas of disputed territory.

In a battle, these bombers would pose a critical menace to ships and targets on land, based on U.S. and Taiwanese navy consultants.

Mr. Shugart stated that Chinese language navy doctrine for island touchdown campaigns, resembling an invasion of Taiwan, requires strikes in opposition to headquarters, communications services, logistics centres and different key targets, together with assaults on airfields, ports and ships at sea. “I might count on H-6s to be concerned in all of those types of operations,” he stated.

These assaults would seemingly be coordinated with missile strikes, presumably with out warning, that might soften air defences and crater runways to entice plane on the bottom, Mr. Shugart added. He stated these plane may then be hit with cruise missiles launched from H-6 bombers.

China’s official media in mid-September supplied some perception into the function the H-6 may play in a conflict off the Chinese language coast.

State broadcaster CCTV confirmed footage of considered one of these bombers flying in an train with fighters and a long-range WZ-7 surveillance drone. The drone penetrated the air defences of a possible adversary, recognized a goal and relayed this info to the H-6, based on the footage. The bomber was proven launching an anti-ship missile.

Specialists say the U.S. ought to attempt to neutralise the H-6 bombers whereas they’re nonetheless on the bottom. “Any frequent sense battle plan would goal these plane earlier than they may take off,” stated David Deptula, dean of the Washington-based Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Research and a retired U.S. Air Drive Lieutenant Normal.

In March testimony to the U.S.-China Financial and Safety Overview Fee, Mr. Shugart stated China’s H-6 power has expanded and these plane now have improved airframes, know-how, engines and long-range weapons.

Whereas often sending the H-6 on missions off the Chinese language coast, Beijing is now deploying these plane in the identical method the U.S. Air Drive makes use of long-range patrols of the B-52 and its different bombers to sign America’s means to strike at distant targets.

On July 24, American and Canadian fighter jets scrambled to intercept a joint patrol of two Chinese language H-6 and two Russian Tu-95 bombers close to Alaska, based on a press release from the North American Aerospace Protection Command (NORAD).

Whereas the Russians conduct common patrols on this space, it was the primary time Chinese language bombers had flown near the U.S. mainland in an operation that exposed the rising energy and confidence of China’s navy, based on former U.S. air power officers.

The flights weren’t seen “as a menace, and NORAD continues to watch competitor exercise close to North America and meet presence with presence,” Pentagon spokesperson Nguyen stated.

The Chinese language and Russian defence ministries didn’t reply to a request for remark.

A spokesman for China’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, informed a press convention on the time that the joint patrol was to check and enhance coordination between the Chinese language and Russian air forces. “This operation doesn’t goal any third get together,” Mr. Zhang stated.