"Military Sub-Plane" author: Blood Blade
To this day, all branches of the People's Liberation Army have their representative cutting-edge weapons, but some classic weapons that can be called evergreen trees are still struggling in front-line posts today, such as the Bomber-6 series bombers, which are jokingly called "Six Masters" by military fans.
One of the most common memes around the series of bombers is probably the Russian veteran asking: You don't need the Tu-16 anymore, right? At the same time, many netizens are also jokingly saying: there are really not many letters left for the "sixth master".
▲ With a huge number, the "Six Masters" supported the world's largest bomber force
It is true that many indicators of the H-6 series are compared with the large strategic bombers of the United States and Russia, which can be described as a cloud of mud, and China still lacks stealth strategic bombers, so domestic military fans are naturally anxious when talking about this. However, if we combine the weapons carried by bombers of various countries, the scale of equipment and the comprehensive strike intensity, we will find that the level of bombers of the Chinese Air Force is greatly underestimated.
The old Ji Futuo, determined to be in a thousand miles. Having said that, it is undeniable that in terms of the Trinity strategic deterrent, China's air-based strike is still the weakest link, and from the perspective of the strategic environment that China will face in the future, the H-6 series, which has a gradually depleted upgrade potential, will face great pressure, so the People's Air Force must launch a new strategic bomber that is sufficiently advanced in the shortest possible time.
The largest in the world!
Strategic bombers, like aircraft carriers, are a symbol of the qualifications of a true military power. Due to the high requirements of the manufacturing/maintenance costs, development technology and supporting systems of strategic bombers on the level of national strength, many economic powers with relatively developed overall technology have also abandoned the development of such weapons.
Moreover, most countries themselves do not need to develop excessively strong strategic strike forces. After the retirement of the British Vulcan and Victor bombers, only China, the United States and Russia currently have real strategic bombers.
The B-52 is one of the most well-known evergreen weapons in the U.S. military
Today, the United States has 157 strategic bombers, namely 76 B-52Hs, 62 B-1Bs and 19 cutting-edge B-2A stealth strategic bombers. The B-2A, while excellent in concealment, range, and strike power, was too few in number and too expensive. The B-1B and B-52H are both improved from the Cold War era, and although they can also strike on a global scale, it is difficult to protect themselves against stronger opponents. Most notably, the U.S. military also said its strategic bomber numbers had fallen to their lowest point in more than half a century.
▲ The bomber Three Musketeers of the Russian Air and Space Force
The Russian Air and Space Force was also equipped with three types of strategic bombers, namely 62 Tu-22M3, 60 Tu-95MS and 16 Tu-160s, for a total of 138. The massive Tu-95 series is the world's only turboprop strategic bomber, and although its range is high, the avionics and speed are not ideal. Although the Tu-22M3 can fly supersonically, its volume is relatively limited. Although the Tu-160, which has made the domestic military fans hungry, has a high bomb load, a large range and a fast speed, its number is equally insufficient, and the aircraft lacks stealth capabilities.
▲Although the volume is obviously insufficient, the numerical advantage of the H-6 is still obvious
According to the US "Military Observation" magazine reported in May 2022, the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation are all new variants of the H-6 series, and the total number has reached about 270, which can be described as the world's first! Because the models are highly uniform, it is relatively easy for the PLA to maintain them. In addition, the lower cost of the machine also contributes to rapid mass production. It is not difficult to see that the advantage of the Boom-6 series lies in the number.
How many variants of the H-6?
In 1957, the Soviet Union authorized China to produce Tu-16 medium-sized jet bombers, and provided two Tu-16s and a full set of drawings for Chinese reference, so the Harbin Aircraft Factory and Xi'an Aircraft Factory began to imitate, two years later, China's first imitation Tu-16 successfully test flight, thus obtaining the model name of the H-6.
Shortly after the success of the prototype, Sino-Soviet relations broke down, but the Xi'an Aircraft Factory began to produce on its own without foreign aid. In 1966, the H-6A mass production model began to be put into production.
▲ Tu-16 is also a veteran of witnessing history
In 1972, Xifei added three large-scale aerial reconnaissance cameras to the H-6A, and implanted navigation, communication and automatic driving equipment, and finally derived the H-6B reconnaissance aircraft installed in 1979. The H-6 C electronic jammer installed in 1983 also added active and passive jamming equipment and radar detection and confrontation equipment based on the H-6A. At the same time, China has developed a variety of electronic jamming/reconnaissance aircraft based on the H-6 platform.
▲The bomb-6A that had dropped a hydrogen bomb
In 1971, China tried to use Western turbofan engines to replace the original turbojet engines, thereby developing a range-enhanced and nuclear-armed H-6I model, but its development eventually ran aground nine years later. In 1985, the H-6 Ding (also known as the H-6D), which could launch the Hawk-6 aircraft-ship missile and was equipped with the Type 245 airborne radar and missile fire control system, was abolished from the cannon, the overall structure was modified, and the export was realized. In 1990, the First Flight of the Y-6, one of the biggest features of the aircraft is the refueling pod under the wing, and its service also fills a major gap in the People's Air Force.
▲ The emergence of the Y-6 has alleviated the urgent need of the People's Air Force
Soon after, China began upgrading some of its later mass-produced H-6S with new navigation/radar/jamming systems, thereby increasing its high-sea bombing capabilities and eliminating its guns, a variant that entered service in 1994 known as the H-6F.
Five years later, the People's Naval Aviation Corps obtained the H-6H, which was made by adding air-to-ground missiles, data transmission systems, and ground-search radars to the H-6 ding. In 2004, the fire control system was improved to deliver the precision-guided weapon H-6D, also known as the H-6G, which was one of the most important medium- and long-range air strike forces of the Chinese Naval Aviation at that time.
▲The Japanese Self-Defense Forces filmed the H-6K
The emergence of the Boom-6K marks a major leap forward for the Boom-6 family. The aircraft's electronics, power and ergonomics have been fully upgraded, the cockpit has been fully "glassed", the internal structure has been fully adjusted, and there are three pylons under each wing that can carry cruise missiles.
Due to the overall improvement of range, bomb load and fire control accuracy, the H-6K is also known as the God of War and has become part of China's Trinity strategic counterattack force. In 2014, the first flight of the H-6KH, specially prepared for the Navy, has a large electronic warfare pod and can use the Eagle Strike-12 supersonic anti-ship missile to launch an out-of-zone strike.
The emergence of the H-6N has expanded the scope of China's air-based deterrence
After the H-6K, the H-6N was added to the air receiver, which added the air receiver tube, the new active/passive high-power electronic jamming equipment and the photoelectric aiming system, and the combat radius was also raised to a level close to that of the large bomber. In addition, the H-6N can also carry a relatively large air-to-surface ballistic missile, which greatly compensates for the weakness of the series of bomb loads, and expands the coverage of China's air-based strategic strikes.
How the level of the Bomb-6 modification is seriously short-boarded
The concept of a strategic bomber in the modern sense is very different from that of the past. With the popularity of long-range air-based guided weapons, the influence of the bomber's own flight performance began to decrease, for example, the US B-52H seems to have been lagging behind, but it can become a key sea-controlling weapon with the LRASM anti-ship missile.
Therefore, as the carrier of the bomber's strike weapon, the final strike effect should naturally have other criteria for judging.
▲ The scale of various classic bombers and people
As a weapon developed from the base of the Tu-16, the upgrade potential of the already small H-6 is getting smaller and smaller. But just as the J-16 differs from Russia's own Sukhoi, the radically upgraded H-6K/N can basically be seen as a brand new fighter.
Judging by China's current ownership, even if only 120 aircraft are dispatched, at least 600 cruise missiles can be projected at a time. If there are other parts of the H-6 variant that carries a longer range of air-launched ballistic missiles, its strike power will be even more impressive.
▲ The H-6K of the joint cruise with the Russian army
In contrast, most of the Russian Air and Space Forces not only have an old hull, but also have a big gap between the avionics level and the H-6 variant. At present, only 35 Tu-95MS and Tu-160s of the Russian military can launch conventional cruise missiles, and the other Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3s can only launch nuclear warhead cruise missiles, or can only launch anti-ship missiles, or simply attack with unguided bombs. If faced with a large-scale conventional war, then the comprehensive strike efficiency of the three major Russian bombers outside the defense zone is not as good as that of the Bomber-6 Group.
▲ It is not difficult to see that the strength of the "Sixth Master" is greatly underestimated
But if we look at the strategic environment facing China, we will find that the problem of the H-6 cannot be ignored. Although the level of the H-6K is much higher than the previous variant, its ultimate deterrence distance is only 6,000 kilometers, and the maximum bomb load can only be at the same level as the J-16.
For comparison, the B-52H can fly more than 12,000 kilometers while carrying 30 tons of various types of ammunition! In addition, the aircraft can only attack by mounting when carrying cruise missiles, but at this time its resistance will affect flight performance.
▲In this picture, the elegant, beautiful and huge characteristics of the "White Swan" can be seen at a glance
The US military believes that once a large-scale war breaks out, a large number of bases in the first island chain are likely to be devastated in the short term, so the second island chain, where a large number of US warplanes and ships are stationed, will become an important starting position for counterattack.
At this time, the Asia-Pacific Theater anti-missile system will mainly target the PLA's Dongfeng-26 and its successor missiles, and in the face of the H-6K/N and its cruise missiles, the US military has specially formulated two interception modes of anti-carrier aircraft and anti-missiles.
▲ The dangerous enemy F-35 has been heavily equipped with U.S. troops and its many minions
In the first island chain, the US military from the Japanese mainland, South Korea to Okinawa and even the Philippines may deploy a large number of interceptor fighters at any time, a large number of land-based Patriot air defense missile positions are also on standby, considering that these positions may be destroyed, the US military and its allies of the Aegis battleship will also carry out supplementary interception at sea. For the H-6 series, which has relatively limited speed and range and lacks low-altitude penetration capabilities, the opponent's three-dimensional air defense system almost covers multiple levels, and it is difficult to break through nature like ascending to the sky.
▲ If the H-6K wants to attack the island chain target with cruise missiles, the difficulty cannot be ignored
Even if the first island chain is broken, the US military in the second island chain will still take off a large number of drones and manned fighters from various bases, thus intercepting missiles that are already in a cruising state in advance. They are naturally complemented by the THAAD and Patriot series deployed on the ground in the second island chain. Even if the H-6N carries a longer range of air-based ballistic missiles, in the face of such a multiple integrated interception system, it can only threaten Hawaii at best. As a result, China's expectations for new strategic bombers are even greater than the desire for aircraft carriers in the past!
For example, will the "Sixth Master" of the new strategic bomber in service quickly retire?
True strategic deterrence must be based on the Trinity. If one relies too much on one of them, then the opponent will certainly concentrate all resources and forces to defend it; On the other hand, if the strategic deterrence of attack and defense presents a three-pronged model, the other side will inevitably lose sight of one or the other.
For the Platon's Liberation Army, the new strategic bomber must not only achieve high bomb load and high range, but also have absolute concealment to ensure the effect of "air piercing strike", which is also the way to survive in the face of the number one imaginary enemy.
▲ One of the weapons that China needs most in the future must be the stealth strategic bomber
Although the Tu-160, a strategic bomber known for its high-speed and large-range range, is still a daunting strike weapon, especially when it carries air-based hypersonic weapons, it is undeniable that the high-speed high-altitude penetration defense of the aircraft has begun to lag behind in the face of modern air defense systems, so what China urgently needs in the future is a large stealth strategic bomber with flying wing layout.
Some foreign media speculate that China's such bombers may have a non-refueling single range of tens of thousands of kilometers, and the load of the inner magazine may reach several times that of the bomb-6K!
▲Close-up of the bomb bay of the Bomb-6
In peacetime, strategic bombers fly around the mainland of potential opponents with bombs, which is the greatest deterrent; In wartime, it will quickly paralyze the opponent's main command defense node. After the outbreak of the war in Afghanistan, the US military quickly dispatched B-2 stealth bombers across half the world to attack the Taliban, although the other side did not have modern defense technology, but the US military's move undoubtedly showed the world its so-called global strike efficiency. To be sure, the PLA will naturally learn from this idea after it has updated strategic bombers.
To this day, the B-2 stealth strategic bomber has only participated in a limited number of actual combat missions
Judging from the structure of the integration of the old and new us strategic bomber units of the US military, the PLA will adopt a similar arrangement for a considerable period of time in the future. As mentioned earlier, the NUMBER OF's H-6 series in active service is huge, and the new bombers are limited by cost, so it is naturally impossible to completely replace the former in the short term. This means that the H-6 series can concentrate on the tactical tasks of denial of intervention within the first island chain, especially the comprehensive strike of ground and sea targets in the intended landing area.
▲ It is certain that after the domestic stealth bomber is in service, the "Sixth Master" will not be immediately retired
At present, the J-20 and J-16 have formed a clear cooperation. Therefore, in the future, a similar relationship will be between large stealth strategic bombers and the H-6 series: once the former destroys the opponent's air defense units and command points together with the J-20, the H-6, which carries a large number of cruise missiles and air-based ballistic missiles, will immediately follow up, and finally completely destroy the important support of the other side's attempt to counterattack. From this point of view, even if the last and most critical parts of the People's Air Force are completed, the "Sixth Master" will continue to exert its residual heat for a considerable period of time.
Military fans burst into tears at the air show, looking forward to another year of flying wings. Over the years, the desire of the majority of netizens for the "Boom-20" is not difficult to imagine, so that a newly emerged model of the aircraft with a special flight wing layout appears on a specific occasion, which will instantly trigger heated discussions. However, whenever the final disappointing results come, netizens naturally have to make a joke about the letters and Chinese characters related to the Bomb-6 modification.
▲ This terrier still makes countless domestic military fans complain
At present, the next generation of stealth strategic bombers under the opponent is about to come out. For China, whether it can seize this node to launch its own weapons of the same kind before the opponent is crucial. But it is equally important to make effective use of existing weapon resources, seize the weaknesses of the other side and eventually attack the strong with the weak in an asymmetrical way.
Therefore, we can also proudly answer the Russian veterans: the Tu-16 we are still using is not the one you are familiar with, and we have changed it to the "original factory" and do not know it! The current Boom-6 is a true immortal sword!