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

Cai Suliang, identified as a member of an unspecified People’s Liberation Army bomber formation, said that in its external appearance the H-6J, a recent variant of the H-6 bomber series in service for at least five years, differed from the H-6K primarily owing 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.

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.