The Xian H-6 () is a twin-engine jet bomber of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The H-6 is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 and remains the primary bomber aircraft of the People's Republic of China.
Delivery of the Tu-16 to China began in 1958, and a license production agreement with the Soviets was signed in the late 1950s. By November 2020, the PLAAF had as many as 231, and continued to build the aircraft.
The latest variant of the H-6 is the H-6N, a heavily redesigned version capable of aerial refueling and carrying air-launched cruise missiles. According to the United States Department of Defense, this will give the PLAAF a long-range standoff offensive air capability with precision-guided munitions.
History
Having entered service with the Soviet Union in April 1952, the Tupolev Tu-16 was one the Soviets' earliest effective jet bombers with over 1,500 produced through 1962. Early in 1956, the Soviet Union agreed to license production of the Tu-16 to the People's Republic of China. Signed in September 1957, the agreement granted China two production aircraft, a semi-knocked-down (SKD) kit, a complete knock-down (CKD) kit, a set of blanks, and various raw materials to jumpstart Chinese manufacture, all from Plant No. 22 in Kazan. In 1959 a team of Soviet technicians were dispatched to China to assist in the start of Chinese production where they remained until fall 1960.
The Chinese Bureau of Aircraft Industry selected the Harbin Aircraft Factory and a similar factory in Xi'an to produce the new Tu-16s, requiring major reconstruction and expansion. The aircraft and CKD were sent in May 1959 to Harbin Aircraft Factory and production began shortly after with the first Chinese-built Tu-16 assembled in only 67 days (from 28 June to 3 September 1959, using Soviet-provided CKD). Two weeks later, on 27 September the first Chinese Tu-16 completed its maiden flight and in December was transferred to the PLAAF. In 1961, the Bureau of Aircraft Industry opted to concentrate production at Xi'an and dedicate the Harbin factory to H-5 production. Having completed renovations of the Xi'an factory by 1958, production of the H-6 began in earnest with the first fully domestically produced H-6 bomber making its first flight on 24 December 1968, flown by Li Yuanyi and Xu Wenhong.
The establishment of China's H-6 production system experienced significant delays and a loss of schematics during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution.
The H-6 was used to drop nine nuclear devices at the Lop Nur test site. However, with the increased development in ballistic missile technology, the nuclear delivery capabilities that the H-6 offered diminished in importance. The CIA estimated in 1976 that the H-6 had moved over to a dual nuclear/conventional bombing role.
Operation
Today, H-6 variants are used by the PLAAF (primarily H-6Ks) and PLANAF (primarily H-6Js). Originally PLAAF bombers were used by the eight bomber divisions of the total fifty PLAAF air divisions. At present, PLAAF bombers are found in three conventional bomber divisions assigned to the PLA's theater commands and the nuclear 106th and 23rd Air Brigades. The three conventional bomber divisions of the PLAAF are the 10th Air Division (Eastern Theater Command), 8th Air Division (Southern Theater Command), and 36th Air Division (Central Theater Command). The 10th Air Division is likely responsible for conflicts in the Taiwan Strait or East China Sea, the 8th for conflicts in the South China Sea, and the 36th may be used as a national reserve. H-6s are garrisoned at Anqing, Luhe, Shaodong, Leiyang, Lintong, Wugong, and Neixiang Air Bases.
On 13 July 2017, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) scrambled jets from Okinawa, intercepted, and photographed six Chinese H-6K bombers conducting long-range drills over the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait through the Taiwanese, East China Sea, and Japanese Air Defense Identification Zones (ADIZ). A PLA spokesperson told Chinese news service CGTN that the aircraft were "testing actual battle capabilities over the sea" as part of "routine exercises." Two bombers were of the 8th Air Division and the remaining four of the Eastern Theater Command's 10th Air Division. Similarly, on 25 May 2018, the JASDF joined F-16 fighter jets of Taiwanese Air Force in intercepting and photographing two H-6K bombers looping around the Taiwan Island through the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait. A photo released by the JASDF shows an H-6K of the 8th Air Division, tail number 10192.