Updated with modern technology, China’s H-6 bomber extends range and puts US Pacific bases in the line of fire
Last month, during a series of military exercises in the seas and skies around Taiwan, China deployed some of its newest attack aircraft, warships and missile forces. Among the most threatening weapons used was an updated version of a bomber that first flew in the early years of the Cold War.
Just like the United States, which still uses modernized versions of the B-52 bomber from the same era, China has successfully updated its H-6 jet, keeping it in operation well into the 21st century.
These bombers were shown on Chinese state media taking off on missions designed to intimidate Taiwan, as part of military exercises dubbed “Joint-Sword 2024B” by the Chinese military. The maneuvers were described as a “stern warning” to people in Taiwan who defend independence, according to a statement from Chinese military authorities.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported that within a 25-hour period after the exercises began on October 14, 153 Chinese military aircraft, 14 naval vessels and 12 other ships were detected around the island. Among these aircraft, 111 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and invaded the island’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
The Taiwanese ministry also told Reuters that “three groups of three H-6 aircraft” were identified operating in the airspace around the island during the exercises. Two of these groups carried out “simulated attacks,” according to the statement.
China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to questions about these exercises.
Modernized versions of China’s H-6 bomber now have the ability to launch ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, as well as carrying long-range anti-ship and land attack missiles. Some versions are refueled in flight, allowing takeoffs from Chinese territory to reach targets in the Western Pacific, such as US bases in Guam, according to defense analysts and Pentagon reports.
When asked about the military exercises, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense stated that it uses “joint intelligence surveillance to monitor communist military movements near Taiwan” and highlighted the deployment of “air, sea and missile forces to respond as needed, ensuring defense and national security.”
Major Pete Nguyen, a Pentagon spokesman, said the United States is “prepared to respond to any threat and protect the homeland.” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin highlighted that he “does not believe conflict with the PRC is imminent or inevitable,” according to Nguyen.
Beijing continues to assert that Taiwan is part of China and does not rule out the use of force to reunify the island. In contrast, Taiwan’s democratically elected leaders reject these sovereignty claims.
AN UPDATED THREAT
Unlike the United States, which stopped production of the B-52 in 1962, China continued to manufacture the twin-engine H-6 in its factories in the central region of the country. According to Thomas Shugart, a former US Navy officer and expert on the Chinese military, production of the H-6 may have been reduced or ended recently. He estimates that the Chinese air force has around 230 bombers of the model.
Derived from the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 bomber, introduced in the 1950s and nicknamed “Badger” by NATO, the H-6 began to be produced under license in China at the end of that decade. Since then, the model has frequently been sent on missions around Taiwanese and Japanese airspace, as well as over the disputed South China Sea.
Military experts say that in the event of conflict, H-6 bombers would pose a significant threat to ships and targets on land. Chinese military doctrine for invasions of islands, such as Taiwan, foresees coordinated attacks against headquarters, communication centers, ports and runways, as well as targets on land and at sea. These bombers could also be used to launch cruise missiles in precision strikes, according to Shugart.
Footage from state broadcaster CCTV, released in September, shows an H-6 taking part in an exercise alongside fighter jets and a WZ-7 surveillance drone. The drone would have penetrated the air defenses of a simulated target, relaying coordinates to the H-6, which then fired an anti-ship missile.
David Deptula, of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, stated that any US military strategy would involve attacking the H-6s while they were still on the ground, due to the threat they pose. Shugart also highlighted that the H-6, although derived from a Cold War model, was extensively modernized, including airframes, engines and long-range weapons.
JOINT EXERCISES AND INCREASED TENSIONS
China has used the H-6 in long-range patrols in a similar way to the US’ use of the B-52, as a demonstration of strength and strategic capability. In July, a joint patrol of two Chinese H-6 bombers and two Russian Tu-95s was intercepted by US and Canadian fighter jets near Alaska, in an unprecedented move that highlighted increased Chinese military confidence.
Although the flights were not considered a direct threat, the event highlighted the growing scope of joint operations between China and Russia, according to former US Air Force officials.
China’s Defense Ministry stated that the patrol was aimed at “testing and improving coordination between Chinese and Russian air forces” and denied that it was targeting any third country. The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the incident.
With information from Reuters*
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/11/14/china-usa-tecnologia-da-guerra-fria-para-desafiar-supremacia-militar-dos-eua/
