China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has recently announced that its Soviet-era Xi’an H-6K bombers are now equipped with four advanced YJ-21 hypersonic missiles.
The YJ-21 missiles were observed on an H-6K bomber affiliated with a regiment from the PLA Southern Theater Command’s air force. According to the Command’s WeChat account, this bomber participated in a late-night drill in mid-2024. Historically, the H-6K has showcased its capability to carry subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles, but this marks the first time it has deployed a hypersonic air-launched missile.
The YJ-21 missile has a flight speed of Mach 6, peaking at a terminal velocity of Mach 10. Its operational range extends approximately 930 miles (1,500 kilometers), making it a formidable asset. The missile has a visual resemblance to the Russian Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile.
Chinese state-owned Global Times suggests that the YJ-21 can target both stationary and slowly moving targets, including aircraft carriers, at hypersonic speeds from great distances. Initially, it was believed that the H-6K could only carry two of these larger and heavier missiles, but a recent photograph disproves this, showing the bomber can indeed carry four YJ-21 missiles.
The Xian H-6, a licensed version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 jet bomber, has been a staple in China’s PLAAF since its introduction in the late 1950s. Over the years, various versions of the H-6 have been developed, including nuclear bombers, reconnaissance variants, anti-ship missile carriers, and in-flight fuel tankers.
Important upgrades in the 1990s led to the development of the H-6F with modern navigation systems, and new variants like the H-6G and H-6H followed, tailored for ground-launched and land-attack cruise missiles, respectively. The H-6K, equipped with the YJ-21 hypersonic missile, marks a significant advancement, enhancing the bomber’s capabilities.
The integration of the YJ-21 on the H-6K considerably boosts the PLAAF’s long-range precision strike abilities in anti-access/area denial missions, positioning it to counter U.S. maritime forces.
Moreover, the Chinese navy also equipped the YJ-21 with the formidable Type 055 large destroyer, one of the world’s most heavily armed warships.