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Xi'an H-6
The Xi'an H-6 (Chinese: 轰-6; pinyin: Hōng-6) is a Chinese twin-engine jet heavy bomber manufactured by the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation. It is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 and remains the primary bomber aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The H-6N nuclear variant is a redesigned modernized strategic bomber carrying the JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile. As of 2025[update], it is considered to be the only Chinese military aircraft assigned nuclear weapons: 20 bombers are assigned up to 20 missiles with the 106th Air Brigade at the airbase in Neixiang County under Central Theater Command Air Force. It is capable of aerial refueling including via the Xi'an Y-20's tanker variants. The Xi'an H-20 is expected to eventually assume this nuclear role. The initial H-6A variant dropped live nuclear weapons in nine of China's nuclear tests, and served alongside the Harbin H-5 bomber and Nanchang Q-5 fighter before their nuclear roles were removed.
The H-6K conventional variant can carry YJ-12 supersonic cruise and YJ-21 hypersonic ballistic anti-ship missiles, as well as land-attack cruise missiles including CJ-10 variants. It uses upgraded Soviet Soloviev D-30KP engines. The H-6G and H-6J are maritime variants, carrying anti-ship missiles. Since 2023, the H-6M mother ship variant has launched the AVIC WZ-8 hypersonic unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle.
From 2019, H-6K and H-6N bombers began carrying out joint patrols with Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers. As of 2025[update], ten such joint flights have occurred, resulting in interceptions by South Korean, Japanese, and US fighter aircraft. As a tool of power projection, H-6 movements are significant to China's disputes in the South China Sea and the political status of Taiwan.
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 H-6s, and continued to build the aircraft, which has been extensively modified and upgraded. During the 1980s Tanker War, a theater of the Iran–Iraq War, the Iraqi Air Force extensively employed H-6s armed with the Chinese-exported C-601 anti-ship missile, damaging at least 15 Iranian oil tankers and bulk carriers. In 1991, Iraq's three remaining H-6 bombers were destroyed on the ground by the US during the Gulf War.
Having entered service with the Soviet Union in April 1952, the Tupolev Tu-16 was one of 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-6 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.
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Xi'an H-6
The Xi'an H-6 (Chinese: 轰-6; pinyin: Hōng-6) is a Chinese twin-engine jet heavy bomber manufactured by the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation. It is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 and remains the primary bomber aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The H-6N nuclear variant is a redesigned modernized strategic bomber carrying the JL-1 air-launched ballistic missile. As of 2025[update], it is considered to be the only Chinese military aircraft assigned nuclear weapons: 20 bombers are assigned up to 20 missiles with the 106th Air Brigade at the airbase in Neixiang County under Central Theater Command Air Force. It is capable of aerial refueling including via the Xi'an Y-20's tanker variants. The Xi'an H-20 is expected to eventually assume this nuclear role. The initial H-6A variant dropped live nuclear weapons in nine of China's nuclear tests, and served alongside the Harbin H-5 bomber and Nanchang Q-5 fighter before their nuclear roles were removed.
The H-6K conventional variant can carry YJ-12 supersonic cruise and YJ-21 hypersonic ballistic anti-ship missiles, as well as land-attack cruise missiles including CJ-10 variants. It uses upgraded Soviet Soloviev D-30KP engines. The H-6G and H-6J are maritime variants, carrying anti-ship missiles. Since 2023, the H-6M mother ship variant has launched the AVIC WZ-8 hypersonic unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle.
From 2019, H-6K and H-6N bombers began carrying out joint patrols with Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers. As of 2025[update], ten such joint flights have occurred, resulting in interceptions by South Korean, Japanese, and US fighter aircraft. As a tool of power projection, H-6 movements are significant to China's disputes in the South China Sea and the political status of Taiwan.
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 H-6s, and continued to build the aircraft, which has been extensively modified and upgraded. During the 1980s Tanker War, a theater of the Iran–Iraq War, the Iraqi Air Force extensively employed H-6s armed with the Chinese-exported C-601 anti-ship missile, damaging at least 15 Iranian oil tankers and bulk carriers. In 1991, Iraq's three remaining H-6 bombers were destroyed on the ground by the US during the Gulf War.
Having entered service with the Soviet Union in April 1952, the Tupolev Tu-16 was one of 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-6 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.