According to a tweet published by Sajawal Rana on April 20, 2022, a People's Liberation Army Navy's H-6N bomber aircraft have been seen carrying a hypersonic missile.
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Chinese Xian H-6N bomber aircraft with YJ-21 hypersonic missile (Picture source: Sajawal Rana)
The Xian H-6 is a license-built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-16 twin-engine jet bomber, built for China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
The H-6N variant has a semi-recessed area hard point underneath its fuselage. It is capable of mounting an air-derivative of the Dongfeng-21D anti-ship ballistic missile or the CJ-100 supersonic cruise missile, with an added 3,700-mile range including aerial refueling or a variety of other oversized payloads - including those with nuclear warheads.
The H-6N’s appearance is distinct from that of the H-6K dual-use bomber in that it is equipped with a nose-mounted in-flight refueling probe, and includes a modified fuselage that the US Defense Department believes can accommodate the nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile or possibly a drone.
The H-6N’s air-to-air refueling capability also provides it greater reach over other H6 variants that are not refuelable in air.
