The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLA Air Force) has grown stronger in combat capability and will reinforce its military presence in both the high seas and the air, after the air force released a video promoting its H-6K bomber. The PLA Air Force released “China’s H-6K bomber spreads its wings,” a 3-minute-and- 12-second promotional video displaying the development of the newly commissioned bomber in the last three years. H-6K is China’s first home-made strategic bomber with the longest range and maximum bomb capacity, during wartime the H-6K can drop bombs and launch missiles,and because of its long flight time, it can fly over the Nansha Islands for reconnaissance, surveillance and patrols. The H-6K can achieve high accuracy when it arrives at the target. H-6K is capable of releasing a nuclear strike bomb and it would be used in patrolling the East China Sea when facing a threat from countries including the US and Japan. And the South China Sea would be H-6K’s main stage.New technologies have been applied and tested for the H-6K, which aided research and development of a new generation long-range strategic bomber, the H-20.
A squadron of 12 H-6K bombers was sent from China’s Guanzhong Plain region to conduct a long-range combat drill, according to an article posted on the PLA Air Force official Sina Weibo account on March 27. The PLA Air Force unit also performs missions including routine high-seas drills in the West Pacific, regular patrols in the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone and military patrols in the South China Sea. China’s PLA Air Force has and will continue to carry out regular patrols over the high seas just as the video show.
