China’s H-6K Carries More Air-Launched Hypersonic Missiles Than Previously Thought

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

China’s H-6K bomber appears to be capable of carrying more air-launched ballistic missiles than previously believed.

A new photo of the plane published in an official Chinese military WeChat account shows the bomber taking off at night in an exercise held earlier this summer. It was carrying two of the YJ-21 missiles under one side of its wings.

Observers told the Global Times, an English-language newspaper controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, that it most likely also carried two missiles under the other wing for a total of four, in order to stay balanced. Previously, the plane had only been seen carrying one missile under each wing.

The Global Times said the extra missiles on the H-6K can “significantly increase the PLA Air Force’s long-range precision strike capabilities.”

China unveiled the YJ-21 missile in 2022. It’s been described as a hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile. An official publication claimed the missile has a cruise speed of Mach 6 (4,094 miles per hour) and a terminal speed of Mach 10 (roughly 7,000 mph).

The missile is believed to have a range of up to 930 miles, and is part of a family of weapons designed to be “carrier killers.” Since that’s longer than the combat range of the US carrier based F-35C (630 miles), that means the carriers would have to sail closer in so its planes could reach their targets – making the ships and their escorts more vulnerable to attack.