China's military buildup in the South China Sea intensifies
China employs a fait accompli strategy in the South China Sea, seizing additional territories in the area claimed by several countries. Chinese military infrastructure, including airports, is being built on natural or artificially created islands in shallow waters. Strategic Chinese H-6 bombers have been spotted at one of these locations, Woody Island.
Woody Island—the largest in the Paracel Islands archipelago (occupied by China in the 1970s)—serves as an example of China's expansion in the South China Sea. This is a disputed maritime area with claims from Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and China. However, Beijing is gradually and unilaterally expanding its control over additional areas by constructing military infrastructure on these islands.
The Chinese airport was established, among other places, on Woody Island, where HQ-9 missile launchers, based on the Russian S-300 system, were installed in the mid-2000s. With a range of up to 124 miles, the Chinese missiles have created an anti-aircraft "umbrella" over the entire archipelago.
Recently, after a several-year absence, Beijing sent a pair of strategic H-6 bombers, Y-20 transport planes—built using designs allegedly stolen from American C-17s—and a KJ-500 early warning aircraft to Woody Island. These Chinese aircraft are visible in satellite images.
H-6K bombers - a threat to US Navy aircraft carriers
The H-6 bomber is a very old design—a Chinese version built under license of the Soviet Tu-16 bomber from the 1950s. Despite its age, significant upgrades make its new versions—like the H-6K or the "nuclear" H-6N—a valuable asset for Beijing.
The H-6 aircraft is capable of carrying nuclear weapons and cruise missiles. Thanks to its range, it can conduct strikes beyond the "first island chain," an imaginary line running from the southern tips of Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo. This area is within range of Chinese tactical aviation and some anti-aircraft systems.
Supported by YY-20 aerial refueling aircraft—a version of the Y-20 formerly known as the Y-20U—the H-6K/N bombers enable China to execute strikes far beyond controlled zones, targeting areas such as the island and base of Guam, a crucial point for the American presence in the Pacific.
The H-6 armaments include, among others, YJ-12 anti-ship missiles, which have a range of up to 311 miles and can travel at speeds of Mach 4. These missiles are considered a significant threat to the U.S. Navy, including its aircraft carriers.
