Xian H - 6 The Xian H - 6 ( ) is a license - built version of the Soviet Tupolev Tu - 16 twin - engine jet bomber , built for the Chinese People ' s Liberation Army Air Force . Delivery of the Tu - 16 to China began in 1958 , and the Xi ' an Aircraft Industrial Corporation ( XAC ) signed a license production agreement with the USSR to build the type in the late 1950s . The first Chinese Tu - 16 , or " H - 6 " as it was designated in Chinese service , flew in 1959 . Production was performed by the plant at Xian , with at least 150 built into the 1990s . China is estimated to currently operate around 120 of the aircraft . The latest version is the cruise missile - carrying H - 6K . Design and development . The first domestically produced H - 6 was completed in 1968 and evidence of bombing training was recorded by U . S . spy satellites on August 13 . 1971 . By March of the following year , the CIA estimated that the PRC had 32 aircraft operational with an additional 19 awaiting completion . The H - 6 was used to drop nine nuclear devices at the Lop Nur test site . However , with the increased development in ballistic missile technology , the nuclear delivery capabilities that the H - 6 offered diminished in importance . The CIA estimated in 1976 that the H - 6 had moved over to a dual nuclear / conventional bombing role . Developed versions . Along with the H - 6 free - fall bomber , an " H - 6A " nuclear bomber was built , as well as an " H - 6B " reconnaissance variant , " H - 6C " conventional bomber and " H - 6E " nuclear bomber with improved countermeasures , and the " H - 6D " antiship missile carrier . The H - 6D was introduced in the early 1980s and carried a C - 601 antishipping missile ( NATO codename " Silkworm " , an air - launched derivative of the Soviet P - 15 Termit ( " Styx " ) under each wing . The H - 6D featured various modernized systems and sports an enlarged radome with a Type 245 " Kobalt " I - band surveillance radar under the nose . The Type 245 radar was based on the Soviet PSBN - M - 8 NATO codename " Mushroom " radar used on the Tupolev Tu - 16 . Earlier versions ( Type 241 , 242 and 244 ) were installed on the early models of the H - 6 . The H - 6 has also been used as a tanker and drone launcher . Later H - 6 production featured extended curved wingtips . Many H - 6A and H - 6C aircraft were updated in the 1990s to the " H - 6F " configuration , the main improvement being a modern navigation system , with a Global Positioning System ( GPS ) satellite constellation receiver , Doppler navigation radar , and inertial navigation system . New production began in the 1990s as well , with Xian building the " H - 6G " , which is a director for ground - launched cruise missiles ; the " H - 6H " , which carries two land - attack cruise missiles . In terms of land attack cruise missiles five immediate possibilities were considered by PLAAF - the indigenous HN - 1 , HN - 2 and HN - 3 , a cloned Tomahawk widely reported , likely to be the DH - 10 / CJ - 10 , and a variant of Russian designed cruise missile . It is believed CJ - 10 is chosen to be the main land attack missile for H - 6 bombers . And now the " H - 6M " cruise missile carrier , which has four pylons for improved cruise missiles and is fitted with a terrain - following system . Apparently these variants have no internal bomb capability , and most or all of their defensive armament has been deleted . H - 6K . The H - 6K , first flying on 5 January 2007 , entered service in October 2009 during the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the People ' s Republic of China , and is claimed to give China its first proper strategic bomber . With a reinforced structure making use of composite materials , enlarged engine inlets for Russia n NPO Saturn D - 30KP - 2 turbofan engines giving a claimed combat radius of , a glass cockpit with large size LCD multi - function display , and a reworked nose section eliminating the glazed navigator ' s station in favour of a more powerful radar , the H - 6K is a significantly more modern aircraft than earlier versions . The bomb bay has been replaced by extra fuel capacity , and six underwing pylons for CJ - 10A cruise missiles are fitted . The rear 23mm guns and gunner position are replaced by electronic components . In January 2009 , it was reported that an indigenous turbofan engine , the WS - 18 , was under development for use in the H - 6K . Later upgraded to either two C - 301 supersonic anti - ship missile s , or four C - 101 supersonic anti - ship missile s . An upgraded version , capable of carrying four YJ - 8 ( C - 801 ) anti - ship missiles is currently under development . Variants . Production versions . Initially designated H - 6IV .