China’s new H-6J maritime strike bomber: more vision, more range, more roles

China’s H‑6J maritime strike bomber, equipped with two reconnaissance pods, indicates it has enhanced long-range strike capabilities while supporting peacetime maritime surveillance, according to military analysts.

Cai Suliang, identified as a member of an unspecified People’s Liberation Army bomber formation, said that the H-6J, a new variant of the H-6 bomber series, differed from the H-6K in its external appearance – mainly due to additional reconnaissance pods.

“This amounts to giving [the bomber] an extra pair of eyes, allowing it to see maritime targets at greater distances and across a wider area,” Cai said on a programme aired by state broadcaster CCTV last Wednesday.

The H-6J is a naval variant of the PLA Air Force’s H-6K and is primarily designed as an anti-ship weapon, which is key to deterring vessels in various scenarios including a conflict over Taiwan.

Cai Suliang, identified in a CCTV report as a member of an unspecified PLA bomber formation, says the H-6J can “see maritime targets at greater distances and across a wider area”. Photo: CCTV

In recent years, it has conducted training exercises in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s territorial claims overlap with those of several neighbours, particularly the Philippines.

South China Morning Post