▲Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force H6K in flight over the Pacific.
COMMENTARY / Ignacio Cristóbal Urbicain* [English version].
Only three countries in the world have strategic or long-range bombers (USA, Russia and China). The mission statement of this subject weapon is to project force over very long distances, normally inside enemy airspace to destroy, with its important armament load, strategic targets, i.e. industry, infrastructure, logistics, etc. It is also an important deterrent weapon.
In the case of China, its strategic aviation has mainly the latter mission statement regarding the defense of its interests by projecting a threat at very far distances, i.e. preventing the approach and entrance of US Navy battle groups (aircraft carriers and attack cruisers) to the South China Sea.
For this task, China has the Xian H-6. This aircraft is a derivation of the Russian Tupolev Tu-16 developed 60 years ago. In 2007, the Chinese upgraded their H-6 by replacing the old engines to achieve a longer range (3,500 km). Again Russian engines were chosen, although there are sources that have said that a new Chinese engine (WS-18) is being developed. A general electronic and air-to-surface radar modernization was also carried out. Its targeting capability is unknown. The bomb bay was reduced to accommodate another interior fuel tank and modified to accommodate the 2,200 km range CJ-10th Wayside Cross missiles. This created the H-6K, considerably more modern than the previous version, which retains the ability to carry nuclear armament, as well as the YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missiles.
A squadron of 15 of these aircraft (this is the issue number of personnel Jane's Defence thinks are in service) can fire around a hundred missiles, creating a major problem for an ill-intentioned naval group . Note also that in recent weeks the H-6Ks have been seen for the first time with bombs on the external wing mounts.
The future
In December 2016 sources in the Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed rumors about the development of a new long-range bomber. This new project is likely to be stealthy (very leave detectability to radar), long-range ("second line of islands" - from central Japan to eastern Indonesia, crossing the island of Guam, USA) , as well as able to carry large amount of conventional weaponry in an internal hold, which will improve stealthiness against enemy radars.
The designation is currently H-X, although Jane's Defense is already calling it H-20. Apparently the bomber will not be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, as China has a "no first strike" nuclear policy, which means that it will not be the one to initiate a conflict with nuclear weapons. For all that, it has a nuclear arsenal tied to the idea that the country would survive a first strike and will be able to refund the blow.
The role of this new bomber will be to keep a U.S. carrier force with its group battle force from getting any closer than it should to its areas of interest. These aircraft carrying long-range air-to-surface missiles against such well-defended naval groupings will be one of the three legs of the Chinese deterrent. The other two are attack submarines and ballistic missiles.
Probably its design, commissioned to Xian Aircraft Corporation, will be similar to the American B-2 bomber, following the Chinese tradition of practically copying Western models (the J-20 fighter is similar to the American F-22) and its first flight could be in 2025. Another question is when it will be operational, but considering the cost of the first flight of the J-20 and its operability, it seems a long way off. Hence the modernization of the H-6 mentioned at the beginning of article.
Combat aircraft are very complex weapon systems and it is not enough for them to fly. They must do so with the characteristics for which they are designed. In this case China has historically been very dependent on Russian engines. Theirs have not performed as expected. Not to mention electronics, in this field the US still beats them by a long way.
*Professor, School of Economics and Business Administration, University of Navarra, Spain.
