Future Bomber Programme

Last updated: 14 March 2007

The PLA Air Force has been seeking a replacement to its ageing H-6 (Tu-16 Badger copy) medium bomber for over two decades. However, the attempts to develop a new indigenous design has produced very little result so far. China also showed interests in acquiring a capable bomber from Russia but no order has been placed. As a result, the PLAAF was forced to continue upgrading its existing 30-year-old H-6 fleet as a stopgap before a suitable successor could be found.

Early H-6 Successor Programmes

The Chinese Ministry of Aeronautics (MoA) first proposed a four-engine long-range strategic bomber design in 1972. The bomber, which is comparable in size and general performance to the USAF B-47 Stratojet, appeared to be an enlarged H-6/Tu-16 with four underwing engines. The aircraft was to be powered by four British Rolls-Royce Spey Mk202 turbofans. China imported about 50 examples of the engine as well as its technology from Britain in 1972. The programme was later proved over ambitious and finally cancelled in its concept stage in the late 1970s.

In the 1970s, Xi’an Aircraft Factory (now Xi’an Aircraft Industry Corporation, XAC) proposed a four-engine H-6 upgrade package known as H-6I. The new design retained the airframe of the H-6, but replaced the two original WP-8 turbojet engines at the wing-root position with two Rolls-Royce Spey Mk512-5W turbofans, and also added an additional two Spey turbofans under the wings. The introduction of the new powerplant has increased the maximum range of the H-6 bomber from 5,760km to 8,060km, and sea-level climbing rate from 18.6m/s to 29.7m/s. An H-6I converted from an existing H-6 for test and evaluation made its maiden flight in 1978. However, the programme was finally cancelled in the early 1980s due to excessive costs involved in purchasing and maintaining the Spey engines.

Long-range bomber: The official model of the cancelled four-engine long-range bomber design (Source: Chinese Internet)

H-6I upgrade: The upgraded H-6I with four R-R Spey turbofan engines (Source: Chinese Internet)

Tu-22M3 Backfire

In 1993, China approached Russia seeking the sale of a number of the Tupolev Tu-22M (NATO codename: Backfire-C) intermediate bomber. Developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Tu-22M is a swing-wing, long-range bomber designed to strike targets in Western Europe and Asia using both nuclear and conventional weapons. It has been designed to penetrate enemy air defence at low altitude and supersonic speed making him more survivable than previous strike aircraft. In addition to the strike role, the Tu-22M can carry out reconnaissance and maritime patrol missions. The Tu-22M3 is the latest model of the Backfire family and first entered service with the Soviet air forces in 1984.

Moscow initially rejected Beijing’s request due to concern that a sale like this may break the power balance in the East Asia region. However, since late 2004 there has been some major shift in the Russian government’s attitude towards the sale of bomber to China. On 13 January 2005, the chief of the Russian Air Force, Vladimir Mikhailov, said that the Russian military could sell a number of Tu-22M3 and Tu-95 bomber aircraft to China. He confirmed that Russia would send Tu-22M3 to take part in the joint China-Russia military exercise in 2005, and Russia’s clear intention to sell the aircraft to China. This dramatic change may have been a direct result of the Russian Air Force’s decision in 2004 to retire hundreds of its advanced aircraft, including 40 new TU-22M3 bombers. The move by Moscow was seen as a cost-cutting effort to allow for future development of advanced aircraft. Beijing did not respond to the offer, a clear indication that the PLAAF was no longer interested in this plane.

Tu-22M Backfire: The Tu-22M intermediate bomber was out of production in 1993

Su-34 Fullback

The PLAAF also showed strong interest in the Russian Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO codename: Fullback) bomber, which was developed in the 1990s intended as a successor to the Tu-22M3 Backfire. The aircraft officially joined Russian Air Force service in 2006 as a replacement to the older Tu-22M3 and Su-24. The aircraft design retains the basic layout and construction of the Su-27 airframe, with a changed contour of the nose section to accommodate an advanced multi-mode phased array radar with terrain-following and terrain avoidance modes. Roughly the same size and class as the U.S. F-111, the Su-34 has provisions for greater crew comfort and is capable of 10-hour flight.

With multiple aerial refuelling, the Su-34 could undertake armed long-endurance patrols over the South China Sea, or strikes out to the Second Island Chain. It carries a long-range phased array radar and can carry the entire range of Russian air-launched weapons. It is also designed to be survivable in a low-level combat environment by virtue of a titanium “tub” to protect the crew. Again, the biggest question remains as whether the Russian government is willing to sell such advanced aircraft to China.

Su-34 Fullback: The two-seat, twin-engine Su-34 was developed in the 1990s as a successor to the Tu-22M

Indigenous Development

In parallel to the foreign acquisition plans, the PLAAF has not totally given up the effort to develop a new bomber indigenously. Currently XAC is reportedly working on a new bomber aircraft project, which is said to resemble the Russian Su-34. If this is true, the project may benefits from the knowledge and experience China obtained from the licensed production of the Su-27SK at Shenyang, since the Su-34 design bears close tie to the former.