Beijing sends a message to Taiwan when Taipei buys arms from the United States or if Taiwan’s politicians speak about independence.Ĭhina also coincides its aerial incursions on major holidays such as “National Day.” Bombers are typically part of the package.Ĭhina makes an incursion and then Taiwan reacts and both sides get simulated combat training.Ĭhina has not fought in a war since it invaded northern Vietnam in 1979.īut China continues to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The biggest incursion into Taiwan’s ADIZ has been at least 39 airplanes in January. This chain of events is a regular occurrence, and on this particular May flight, only seven airplanes crossed into the zone. When this happens, Taiwan scrambles a quick-response air patrol, broadcasts radio warnings, and makes sure surface-to-air-missile systems are ready to fire. A Game of Cat and MouseĪn H-6 entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on May 19 surrounded by five fighter jets including the J-16. Let’s take a closer look at the H-6 to see why China depends on it so much to bully Taiwan. The Xian H-6 has ample range and a large bomb payload that can include nuclear weapons. The J-20 was first spotted in 2011, and five years later it's only now entering low-rate production.When China wants to intimidate Taiwan and deliver a show of force with warplanes over the Taiwan Strait it inevitably includes the H-6 strategic bomber in the mission.Ĭhina often flies to Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to make political statements against Taiwan’s yearning to be recognized as an independent and sovereign state. Actually getting the aircraft to operational status is a different matter, though. We'll likely see a public unveiling within the next year. How soon will we see this new bomber? China plays it pretty conservatively when it comes to announcing new military projects, so we can assume that if a public announcement has been made the airplane will break cover relatively soon. This will also allow it to carry out strikes against Japan, the East China Sea, American bases on Guam, and even Australia.
Anti-ship ballistic missiles such as the Dong Feng ("East Wind")-26 have a range of about 3,000 miles, so we can assume that's about the baseline for the bomber's range. But it does need to reach out across the Western Pacific. A tailless, flying wing design such as the B-2 Spirit is much better at this task, but probably too complicated a design for China at this point.Īs far as range, if the H-X is not a nuclear-capable bomber then it doesn't need the ability to reach the United States. China probably would choose to make the aircraft roughly in the shape of its J-20 fighter, an airplane with a conventional layout but stealthy features to defeat enemy radar.
H-X needs to be stealthy because America and its allies have radar all over the Pacific, and many of them are well positioned to pick up a flight of heavy bombers heading out from China to targets unknown. The plane will likely carry at least eight cruise missiles such as the DH-10in order to overwhelm enemy defenses-and justify the bomber's development cost. Unlike the H-6, which carries cruise missiles on its wings, the bomber would carry long-range cruise missiles on internal rotary launchers to preserve its stealth profile. The new bomber will carry cruise missiles instead of conventional bombs, in part because H-X will be expensive to develop and purchase, and flying it directly over a (heavily defended) target would be risky. China will use them in conjunction with its "carrier killer" ballistic missiles and attack submarines to create a triple threat that would overwhelm a carrier battle group's defenses. The new bomber will carry air-to-ground missiles, particularly anti-ship cruise missiles to attack aircraft carriers and their escorts. China has pursued a strategy of "anti-access, area denial" to keep American aircraft carriers and other major assets from loitering off the coast of Asia. H-X will almost certainly be aimed at countering American forces in the Western Pacific.
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