Especially for some Old Cold Warriors, when they hear TU-16 Badger, they will generally think of the 66-year old design as something two iterations of obsolescence back. When you tell them the Chinese are still producing them as the H-6, you might get a chuckle.
That would be unwise.
The C-130 is also a 60+ year old design, but no professional will roll their eyes at the capability it brings to the fight, nor those still in production as the C-130J – a very modern aircraft by any definition.
In that light, let’s look at the newest production – new car smell production – of the Chinese H-6; the H-6J which is the naval variant of the upgraded H-6K.
“The aircraft at Guiping-Mengshu are assessed to be a variant of the H-6K, which has been in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) since about 2011,” IHS Jane’s reports on October 11 without elaborating on the exact H-6 variant.
The H-6Js are presumably replacing H-6G maritime striker bombers, which first entered service with the PLANAF in the early 1990s. The PLA South Sea Fleet currently operates an H-6G regiment consisting of approximately 14-18 aircraft. In comparison to the older variant, the H-6J is thought to be able to carry about three times the number of anti-ship missiles, and at 3,500 kilometers boasts an increased combat radius of around 50 percent.
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The upgrade to the H-6J variant entailed fitting the aircraft with completely new airframes, lighter weight composites, new fuel efficient D-30-KP2 turbofans, advanced avionics, and a full glass cockpit. The bomber also has been fitted with a new long-range surface search radar and an electro-optical targeting pod for target acquisition. The H-6J is primarily an anti-surface warfare platform. It can carry up to seven YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) — six on wing pylons plus one in the bomb bay.
Get out your chart of WESTPAC. Mark out the range of the H-6J from its bases. Now, contemplate the weapon it will carry,
The YJ-12 (YingJi meaning Eagle Strike) was designed by the Third Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation “CASIC” (HiWING Mechanical & Electrical Technology Corporation). It is fitted with liquid-fueled ramjet (with a combined booster and combustion chamber).
Its reported speed is around Mach 2 if launched from a low altitude and up to Mach 3.2 if launched from high altitude. According to Chinese sources, the YJ-12 maximum range is around 380 kilometers (the distance varies depending on launch altitude) and its terminal attack altitude is 15 meters. Finally the missile would be about 6,3 meters long with a diameter below 0,756 meters.
The math here is simple. A regiment of 18 H-6J an carry over 100 supersonic cruise missiles.
Now, look at the range of your USN airwing of 2018-2030, as begat in the first decade of this century, and how close a CVN will have to get to create effects ashore in areas of WESTPAC the Chinese may have of interest in – not to mention how far out that deck of strike fighters could defend their CVN.
The porcupine has some new quills.
Let’s be optimistic, but not too optimistic. Let’s say you manage to knock out ~75% of the H-6J regiment prior to launch, you still have a couple-dozen+ supersonic cruise missiles inbound.
Look at your standard escort ships, especially if their VLS are loaded out for land attack – and they still need to concern themselves with anti-ship ballistic missiles.
Just do the math and ponder a bit.
Back to my Old Cold Warrior friends out there … I know you’re trying to remember what we were thinking about Soviet Backfire regiments.
All that was old and busted, is now new hotness.
