China confirms development of new long-range bomber

September 07, 2016 03:50

The People's Liberation Army Air Force intends to field a new long-range strategic bomber, the PLAAFs top officer, General Ma Xiatian, told reporters on August 30, according to China Military Online.

"We are now developing a next generation, long-range strike bomber that you will see sometime in the future," the air force general said, without providing additional details.

The PLAAF commander's remarks publicly confirm for the first time that China has been working on a long-range bomber project.

It is unclear whether the bomber will be a based on a completely new design, or a further development of the nuclear-capable H-6K, a derivative of the Soviet-era Tupolov Tu-16 twin-engined jet strategic bomber.

The PLAAF currently operates 13 to 15 H-6K bombers, and around 100 older H-6 variants.

According to one reports, the new long-range bomber should be capable of reaching targets as far as the "second island chain" -- an area stretching from the Kurils in the north through Japan, the Bonins, the Marianas, the Carolines, and Indonesia in the south.

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