China Unveils H-6N Nuclear Bomber for the First Time
China has presented the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) H-6N bomber carrying a missile resembling a nuclear delivery vehicle—the Jinglei-1 ballistic missile.
Military China reported on this.
The aircraft, escorted by two J-20 stealth fighter jets, was featured in a promotional video for a documentary series produced by CCTV News Zhisheng (Victory) to mark the 99th anniversary of the PLAAF’s founding.
CCTV News released the footage during a report on joint strikes against a naval task force.
The H-6N is presented as part of a broader multi-domain strike architecture that includes DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, the hypersonic YJ-20, and supersonic YJ-12 missiles, demonstrating how China can synchronize the use of a diverse range of weapons during a conflict.
Beijing presents the H-6N not as a standalone missile carrier, but as the central node of a protected strike architecture that includes stealth fighters, refueling aircraft, electronic intelligence assets, and integrated command networks.
In appearance, the missile, suspended beneath the bomber, resembles the JL-1, which made its debut at the Victory Day parade on September 3, 2025.
The H-6N is the only aircraft in the Chinese Air Force designed to carry this missile. Unlike previous H-6 models, the H-6N is equipped with an in-flight refueling probe and features a recess in the lower fuselage specifically shaped to accommodate a large centerline-mounted pod.
This development is of great significance, as the deployment of these systems will complete the formation of China’s visible nuclear triad, complementing its ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched missiles with an air-based system.
At the Victory Day parade in 2025, China demonstrated its strategic nuclear forces for the first time, including the JL-1 long-range air-launched missile, the JL-3 submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile, and the DF-61 and DF-31BJ land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.
This marked the first simultaneous public display of China’s strategic nuclear forces on land, at sea, and in the air.
In 2024, photos of the Xian H-6N jet bomber carrying the YJ-21 aeroballistic anti-ship missile appeared on Chinese social media.
Source: Militaryni
