Facing Off With the U.S. Navy: China’s New H-6J Bombers and H-6G Electronic Attack Jets Perform High Intensity Manoeuvres

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has dispatched H-6G electronic attack jets and H-6J bombers to carry out high-intensity exercises over territories claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea. According to the country’s defence ministry, the exercises simulated nighttime take-offs, long-range raids and attacks on sea targets, and were part of regular operations to boost combat readiness. The exercises followed an escalating U.S. military presence in the region as Washington has adopted increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards the East Asian state. These included the deployment of two carrier strike groups and close approaches by both an Arleigh Burke Class destroyer and a P-3 surveillance aircraft to Shanghai, with the U.S. also flying an unprecedented number of early warning aircraft near China's coasts which are thought to have been carrying out surveillance of Chinese positions.

American exercises in the region, and the Donald Trump administration’s flagging electoral prospects amid deep economic recession and ongoing domestic instability, have been interpreted by a number of analysts as motivating Washington’s growing belligerence in Northeast Asia and its moves to escalate pressure. Retired PLA naval officer Wang Yunfei stated to this effect that President Trump might be considering launching a surprise attack on Chinese claimed features in the South China Sea in an effort to boost his re-election bid - with State Secretary Mike Pompeo taking an unprecedentedly hard line against Chinese claims to the region. The U.S. notably recognised the currently disputed territories as Chinese until the 1970s, when Washington recognised the Taipei based Republic of China as the legitimate Chinese government, but revoked recognition of the territorial claims when it formed relations with the Beijing based People’s Republic of China.

The H-6 bomber has served in the PLA since 1969, and is based on the Soviet Tu-16 design which first flew in 1952. The design has been extensively enhanced and may well be the most modern bomber in service today, with current variants using new engines, new composite materials and entirely new avionics, sensors and weaponry. The H-6 today serves primarily in roles other than that of a bomber, including anti shipping using long range cruise and ballistic missiles, aerial refuelling and electronic attack. Around 275 of the jets are currently in service, although older variants have been retired for all roles except training. The H-6G is a specialised variant of the aircraft fitted with advanced electronic warfare systems, and has no internal bomb bays. The aircraft is also capable of providing data to ground launched missiles, making it a particularly lethal threat to enemy surface combatants with the PLA deploying a range of very advanced anti ship missile types which can benefit from its guidance. The H-6J is a newer design which has made its debut in recent drills, and each can carry 14 YJ-12 long range cruise missiles which impact enemy warships at very high Mach 4 speeds - twice the weapons capacity of older H-6 models