China flexes air power muscles

摘要

Beijing's vast military parade on 1 October offered further insight into its thinking about how to keep enemies on the back foot in its near seas. The most notable aircraft in the flying display was the new Xian H-6N (pictured below), a long-term descendent of the Tupolev Tu-16 bomber - and a mainstay of Chinese naval airpower. The type featured an aerial refuelling probe that could, tanker resources permitting, greatly extend its range.