H-6 Bomber: More Dangerous Than The Liaoning

Once equipped with cruise missiles with a range of 2,000km, China's H-6 strategic bombers will be more of a threat to US military bases in the Western Pacific than its aircraft carrier, reports Taipei-based magazine Asia-Pacific Defense.

A H-6K bomber, developed by Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation originally in the late 1950s, has six underwing pylons for the missiles — CJ-10As — with one additional cruise missile carried inside its internal weapons bay. No European advanced fighter bombers are able to carry cruise missiles, making the H-6 a very powerful aircraft despite its age. The bomber can also be equipped with 20 satellite-guided or laser-guided munitions.

In the interim between the Liaoning's actual military deployment, the the YJ-62 anti-ship missiles launched from H-6M are more of a threat against US surface combat vessels. With the ability to attack targets between 300 and 350km, the bombers can be found lurking in the PLA Navy's South Sea Fleet, said the Defense International, another Taipei-based military magazine.

Mark Stokes, the executive director of Washington-based Project 2049 Institute, said that H-6K is currently the most dangerous threat to US and allied naval facilities in the Western Pacific. The design of CJ-10A is very similar to the Russian-built Kh-55, dedicated to sinking US carriers and destroying other land-based strategic targets.
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