Constituting a new demonstration of the close bond that both countries maintain in defense matters, it has been made known that strategic bombers H-6K and Tu-95 of the Air Forces of China and Russia patrolled the Pacific together, this being the second time this year that it has occurred. According to local media reports, the flight of the mentioned aircraft takes place as part of an annual cooperation plan outlined between Moscow and Beijing, being the tenth joint air patrol on record since 2019.
Delving into some details, observable in videos that were recently published on social media, it must be mentioned that the H-6K and Tu-95 bombers were escorted by various types of combat and early warning aircraft. In detail, in the first case we are talking about the J-11BS, J-16, and Su-30MK2 fighters, while in the second we are talking about the KJ-500A aircraft; all of them belonging to the Air Force of China.
In this regard, experts consulted by Chinese media highlighted that this combination of platforms enables the deployment of bombers at long distances, keeping them protected from potential threats that these on their own would not be able to counter. Additionally, it is highlighted that this contributes to the interoperability between both forces, something that is celebrated in both countries as an achievement reached in few years thanks to the “pragmatism” guiding the alliance.
On the other hand, something that was also emphasized by the various analysts of the Asian Giant, it is useful to highlight that the mission takes place in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over the Axis powers in the Second World War, of which Japan was part. This matter is not minor, as given the growing tensions between Tokyo and Beijing following the arrival of the new prime minister Sanae Takaichi, China is using it as one of its cards in discursive terms. The patrol flight in this sense cannot fail to be taken as a deterrent message directed toward the island nation and its allies, causing alerts among Japanese strategists, while regional tensions rise.
Following this logic, state media in Beijing have hinted at the idea that the joint patrol of the mentioned aircraft may have transited through the so-called Miyako Strait, a route open for the transit of platforms as established by international law. Regarding this, they add that there is a possibility that the bombers carried out simultaneous operations near the area where the carrier Liaoning has been deployed, from which training flights are being conducted with the aircraft that form its embarked air wing.
Citing Zhang Junshe, interviewed by local publications as a Chinese military expert: “When defense operations require it, the combat effectiveness of joint air-naval operations will be even greater. The strategic bombers of the air force, thanks to their long-range strike capability and powerful firepower, can cooperate closely with the carrier-borne aircraft and the escort ships of the aircraft carrier formation of the Navy.”
Lastly, it is necessary to remember that in the past the H-6 bombers of the Air Force of China had already been employed in patrol flights, and also as a deterrence message, against the U.S. and its allies at moments of elevated tension. One of the most notable examples is found in July of last year, when the mentioned aircraft flew within the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), where they were intercepted by F-16, F/A-18 Hornet, and F-35A fighters of the United States and Canada Air Forces.
*Cover image credits: Ministry of National Defense of China
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