It seems that the role of the H-6 bomber in the People's Air Force is becoming clearer, that is, it is extremely close to the positioning of the B-52 strategic bomber in the US Air Force, that is, the stand-off strategic strike platform. Many people may remember that at the previous Zhuhai Air Show, one H-6K exhibited two hypersonic weapons with double-cone warheads mounted on both sides of the wings, showing that the aircraft has the potential to become an air-launched hypersonic weapon projection platform. But now it seems that the two air-launched hypersonic weapons on display at the Zhuhai Air Show are likely to be just a tactical weapon, or a foreign trade weapon after "downgrading". The PLA Air Force's real self-use air-launched hypersonic weapon is likely to be a giant munition with strategic strike capabilities.
Giant ammunition in the belly of the H-6N
Judging from a photo leaked on a domestic social platform a few days ago, a H-6 was launched into the air with a very large ammunition mounted on the belly of the aircraft. Judging by the long oil receiving tube sticking out of the nose, this is clearly the latest model in the H-6 series of bombers, the H-6N, which was called a "strategic long-range bomber" by the official commentary when it participated in the 70th anniversary of the National Day parade in 2019. Obviously, after at least 1 in-flight refueling, the H-6N has entered the threshold of a strategic-class bomber in terms of range.
The Type 055 10,000-ton drive launched hypersonic missile
As for this giant munition, it is known that the length of the fuselage of the H-6 series bomber is about 34.8 meters, and the length of this ammunition seems to be almost one-third that of a bomber, that is, it is likely to break through 10 meters, and the diameter may exceed 1 meter. In contrast, the PLA Navy's Type 055 10,000-ton hypersonic missile equipped with a sea-based bipyramidal hypersonic missile has a diameter of no more than 0.85 meters and a length of no more than 9 meters in order to adapt to the caliber and depth restrictions of the vertical launch device, and in this case has a maximum range of about 1,000 kilometers. From this point of view, the H-6 is suspected to be carrying an air-launched hypersonic weapon that also uses a double-cone configuration, and the maximum range is likely to exceed 1,500 kilometers, after all, its larger size means that it can carry more propellant.
The H-6N has in-flight refueling capabilities
In this way, the most common estimate on the network is taken, that is, the maximum range of the H-6N is 7,000 kilometers, and the range after one air refueling is 10,000 kilometers ~ 11,000 kilometers. When paired with an air-launched hypersonic weapon with a maximum range of more than 1,500 kilometers, the aircraft's firepower projection range can reach more than 12,000 kilometers, which is indeed comparable to the mainstream strategic bombers in service in the United States and Russia, and can greatly make up for the shortcomings in China's "three-in-one" nuclear counterattack system, that is, air-based nuclear counterattack forces.
The B-52 bomber carries the AGM-183A hypersonic weapon
Not only that, from the combination of "H-6N + giant hypersonic missile", we may also be able to get a glimpse of some clues of the H-20. It is not difficult to find that in terms of firepower projection of strategic bombers, there are basically two technical paths, namely, "long-range stand-off strikes" and "air/close-range strikes", and the former is mainly completed by bombers that do not have stealth capabilities to launch long-range ammunition, such as launching long-range cruise missiles, air-launched ballistic missiles, and air-launched hypersonic weapons in the air. The AGM-183A, an air-launched hypersonic weapon dismounted by the United States, was planned to be used with the B-52, which has no stealth capability.
B-2 stealth bomber performs "air/close strike"
However, it is obviously not enough to strike outside the defense zone, after all, "air/close strike" can more accurately destroy many point targets, especially the effect of "detection and attack" on time-sensitive targets. In this regard, the American B-2 bomber, which has perfect stealth capabilities, was given the task of using its stealth performance to infiltrate the Soviet airspace and wait for an opportunity to hunt down the Soviet mobile launch intercontinental missile launcher with the help of airborne synthetic aperture radar against the background of the outbreak of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the case of the B-21, a new generation of strategic bombers of the US military, it obviously inherits the "air/close strike" mission of the B-2 to a great extent.
A combination of the H-20 and the H-6
In this case, there is no reason why the PLA bomber unit, which is also vigorously building a perfect air-based nuclear counterattack system, should not advance in parallel on these two technological paths. Now, the combination of "H-6N + giant hypersonic missile" has allowed us to make a lot of achievements in "long-range stand-off strikes", and it can be basically determined that it will take "air/close strike" as the main attack mode in the domestic new generation of stealth long-range strategic bomber H-20. It is believed that the powerful combination of the H-6N and the H-20 will allow us to have a strategic strike capability no less than that of the US Air Force, and now it will be up to us when the H-20 will appear.