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China military: PLA sends H-6K bomber on long-range joint drill over South China Sea
- Bomber can carry nuclear weapons and is held up as capable of attacking US carrier battle groups in the Pacific
- Mission shows how Chinese aviation units can carry out missile strikes within first island chain, says US analyst
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China’s H-6K bomber coordinated with fighter jets and early warning aircraft in simulated attacks over the South China Sea, according to a state media report.
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The report, published by the Chinese military’s mouthpiece the PLA Daily on Tuesday, said the bomber flew more than 5,000km (3,100 miles) in a drill that lasted more than seven hours.
Chen Jiale, captain and squadron leader of an unnamed air force regiment in the Southern Theatre Command, was quoted as saying it was the longest drill he ever taken part in.
Chen added that he had seen under the wings of H-6K the “beautiful Spratly Islands”, a hotly contested archipelago known in China as the Nansha Islands.
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The H-6K is considered a strategic bomber and was designed for long-range and stand-off attacks. It can carry nuclear weapons and is held up as capable of attacking US carrier battle groups in the Pacific.
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