In a recent development, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has publicly revealed footage of the H-6K bomber conducting aerial launches of the CJ-12 and CJ-20 missiles. These missiles, exclusively designed for the H-6K bomber, particularly highlight the CJ-20 air-launched cruise missile’s capability to pose a threat to targets in Guam during times of conflict.
According to available information, the CJ-20 air-launched cruise missile is currently the only publicly known air-launched cruise missile system in the PLA and is an air-launched version of the land-based CJ-10. The CJ-10, developed in the 1990s, made its first public appearance during the 2009 National Day parade. The missile measures 8.3 meters in length, with a diameter of 680 millimeters and a weight of 2.5 tons. Its warhead weighs 500 kilograms, surpassing the volume and weight of the US Tomahawk missile. With a cruising speed of 0.85 Mach, the CJ-10 possesses an effective range of over 1,500 kilometers, enabling it to conduct long-range strikes against key enemy targets.
Derived from the CJ-10, the CJ-20 missile has been developed in various versions, including land-based, shipborne, air-launched, and submarine-launched variants. When mounted on the H-6K bomber, the missile is designated as K/AKD-20, or CJ-20, with an extended range of over 2,500 kilometers. Furthermore, based on the CJ-20, the PLA has also developed the CJ-100, an air-launched long-range anti-ship missile.
Detailed photographs of the CJ-20 reveal its folding wings located in the middle section of the missile, resembling a straight mid-wing design. Moreover, the CJ-20 incorporates an advanced embedded intake similar to the tactical Tomahawk Block IV.
As China’s most advanced long-range bomber, the H-6K is currently capable of carrying up to six CJ-20 air-launched cruise missiles, with a striking distance of 6,000 kilometers. Previously, the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s Joint Staff Office released information regarding the flight trajectory of an H-6K bomber in the airspace near Okinawa Island. Should an H-6K bomber in the vicinity of Okinawa Island launch CJ-20 air-launched cruise missiles, it could pose a significant threat to targets in Guam.