Can't stress this enough, alongside the fact that even the latest and most advanced H-6 variant is NO Stratofortress.
H-6 Bomber Aircraft Discussions
- Thread starter F40Racer
- Start date
What about an H-6N? I haven’t looked at the numbers, but I would imagine it wouldn’t exceed MTOW.
I think the H-6N without the weapons bay and the bottom station "could" eventually carry the YJ-12 but I don't think that 6 or even 7 are doable anyway (besides being IMO not useful since range would be dramatically low) and even more it is built for different loads.
By the way, do we have any info on how many H-6Ns are in service and if it is still in production?
The moment when a H-6K launches a YJ-12. Screenshot from GIF posted by @疯子白杨 on Weibo.
by78
General
If even M models are getting replaced, does that mean that legacy H-6 are not in use anymore, anywhere? And that all the PLAAF units (now including ex PLANAF units since the unification) are using solely K models or K derived models?
Also, what does it mean for the tanker variants? With the Y-20 tankers in use and in production, when might we see retirement of the H-6 tankers?
Also, what does it mean for the tanker variants? With the Y-20 tankers in use and in production, when might we see retirement of the H-6 tankers?
In fact I don't know ... my feeling is, that the two PLAN NA units could be easily used to convert those PLAAF units and more or less immediately retire all older H/M-variants. If this however is the case; I don't know since so far I do not fully understand the PLAN NA merger into the PLAAF, aka will they indeed merged into existing PLAAF unit or reformed as new units?
As for the HU-6 I think they will be the first to be retired ... but again, who knows?