Documents
China Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC)
H-6K
A deeply modernized derivative of the Cold War-era H-6 (itself based on the Soviet Tu-16), re-engined with turbofans and fitted with six underwing pylons for long-range cruise missiles. It is the PLA Air Force's primary standoff strike and nuclear-capable bomber.
In service since 2011 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,050
km/h
6,000
km range
13,100
m ceiling
12,000
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2011. Status: active · ~270 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 1,050 km/h Stronger than 44% of bombers
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 786 km/h
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 6,000 km
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 3,500 km
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 13,100 m Stronger than 31% of bombers
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 6
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 12,000 kg Stronger than 19% of bombers
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 34.8 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 33 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 10.36 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 37,200 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 79,000 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 4
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Soloviev D-30KP-2 turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 118 kN
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- electro-optical/infrared targeting pod, terrain-following radar
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 270 Stronger than 50% of bombers
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 44% of bombers
Specifications compiled from public Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Tupolev Tu-160 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K has a maximum speed of 1,050 km/h.
What is the range of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K has a maximum range of 6,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K can carry up to 12,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K weigh? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K has a combat weight of 79,000 kg.
How many crew does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K require? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K requires a crew of 4.
What engine does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K use? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K is powered by the 2x Soloviev D-30KP-2 turbofans.
What is the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K used for? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K is a bomber typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K? +
The Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K cost? +
Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) H-6K: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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