The CH-AS-X-13 ALBM is reported to be the H-6N’s primary weapon, possibly featuring a hypersonic maneuverable reentry vehicle.
The ‘N’ variant of the PLA Air Force’s H-6 strategic bomber has again been spotted with the massive CH-AS-X-13 ALBM (Air-Launched Ballistic Missile). The bomber has been previously seen carrying the weapon in Oct. 2020 and again in Apr. 2022, although on those occasions the photos were in low resolution.
The photo was shared on X by leading Chinese military aviation analyst Andreas Rupprecht, who called it the “clearest image yet of a H-6N carrying the huge ALBM.” The time stamp on the image, however, shows the photo was captured in 2023 on a HUAWEI Mate 60 Pro mobile phone, although it possibly appeared online only now.
Via by78/SDF:
The clearest image yet released showing a H-6N carrying the huge ALBM. pic.twitter.com/4h7OVQfdJ2
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) April 5, 2025
The missile is carried on the centerline hardpoint, and the massive size suggests a use against the largest strategic land targets, like heavily fortified structures or underground bunkers, or massive bases like Andersen AFB on Guam. This also puts that base’s up-gunning with Aegis systems and Standard Missiles for BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) in perspective.
C-AS-X-13というやつか
結局YJ-21と関係無いのかどうかが分からん https://t.co/8nMLf7KK4h pic.twitter.com/r8IsshG2ZE
— MIKOYaN☆🕷️ (@mikovlev130) April 5, 2025
DF-21D or DF-ZF?
As The Aviationist reported in October 2020, the missile appears to be the CH-AS-X-13, the air-launched version of the DF-21D “carrier-killer” AShBM (Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile). Other sources claim it could be the DF-ZF HGV (Hypersonic Glide Vehicle), carried by the DF-17 ballistic missile.
The DF-21D, first unveiled in 2010, had alarmed U.S. Navy commanders, who admitted their carriers had little defenses against the unorthodox missile. The missile follows a ballistic trajectory with an exo-atmospheric release of a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV), which then dives toward its target at hypersonic speeds—typically aimed at aircraft carriers or other high-value assets.
MaRVs are equipped with directional thrust systems that allow them to change course mid-flight, helping them evade interception. This makes them particularly difficult to counter during the post-midcourse, separation, and terminal phases of flight.
How a MaRV performs, can be seen in this graphic rendition of Iran’s Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile, that analysts say has the most utility against Diego Garcia. The similarities in Chinese and Iranian weapons programs are uncanny, with both possessing the largest and most diverse stockpile of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles in the world.
— OedoSoldier (@OedoSoldier) October 17, 2020
The existence of the DF-ZF was first confirmed in 2014. It has a reported range between 1800 and 2500 km and speed of Mach 5 (10 during the glide phase on re-entry). Should that be what the H-6N is carrying, it could be considered as a Chinese version of the U.S. AGM-183 ARRW (Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon) or Russia’s Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aero-ballistic hypersonic weapons.
Wow 😯 and as if the new Eagle Strike 21 (YJ-21) AShBM was not enough, also the so far clearest image of a PLAAF H-6N carrying the huge ballistic missile!
(via a video via @lqy99021608) pic.twitter.com/R0jKlH0uBd
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) April 19, 2022
C-AS-X-13 is a different missile
What observers have compellingly pointed out is that the C-AS-X-13 is unlikely to be just an extended KD-21, given the significant differences in the nose cone and the length. The latest missile being carried on the H-6N’s centerline appears to be a massive two or three-stage system, which has a tapering nose cone with control fins at the base, suggesting it separates as a MaRV.
This is based on the grey bands which could denote the detachable fairings covering the rocket motors’ nozzles. The ALBM is dropped horizontally, descending a few meters as the fairings of the first rocket motor detach to allow the ignition, before the missile accelerates and acquires a ballistic trajectory, heading into space.
Naval News said in 2020 that this is possibly the world’s largest air-launched missile. Ankit Panda, the Stanton Senior Fellow at the Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was the first to report about the weapon in 2018 and described it as a nuclear-capable two-stage solid-fueled ballistic missile with a 3,000 km range.
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency’s China Military Power report released in 2021 also mentioned a possible nuclear capability. It is unclear if the weapon is still in the trial phase or if it has already been fielded, as the first reports in 2018 mentioned the goal to have the weapon operational by 2025.
H-6 bombers
Reports of the H-6N carrying this weapon highlight China’s extensive and diverse arsenal of tactical and strategic ballistic and cruise missiles – launched from air, land, and sea platforms – supported by a broad array of conventional military systems.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force‘s Xian H-6N bomber, developed from the H-6K, itself a reverse engineered and heavily modified version of the Soviet Tu-16 Badger, was specifically designed as a ballistic missile launcher, with the first reports about this mission surfacing in 2017.
The H-6K variant is the PLAAF’s frontline strategic strike aircraft, acting as the missile truck for a variety of land and ship-strike missiles. It would act independently yet in mutually supportive fashion with other PLARF (PLA Rocket Force), PLA Navy and PLAAF operations that would carry their own arsenals.
That‘s interesting: AFAIR it is the first time confirmed, to see the KD-21 ALBM being carried by an operational bomber.
Here a H-6K assigned to the 10th Bomber division carries two KD-21s during the ongoing exercise.
(Images via @太湖军I名 from Weibo) pic.twitter.com/EszNyGrPd9
— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) April 1, 2025
KD-21 operationalized?
Apr. 1, 2025 also saw an image showing an H-6K bomber carrying two KD-21 ALBMs, which observers claimed was during the “Strait Thunder-2025A” exercise held by the ETC (Eastern Theater Command) around Taiwan. Rupprecht and other observers now believe the KD-21 has been operationalized, as the H-6K carrying it belonged to an operational unit – the 10th Bomber Division.
Images or footage of the H6K-KD21 did not however figure in the official material on CGTN or the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. The MND said in a statement that Strait Thunder 2025A “mainly focused on such training subjects as identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention, in a bid to test the troops’ capabilities in regional control, joint blockade, and precision strike.”
Confirmed, no gas vane. Not the same missile at all. pic.twitter.com/KSyU4GHwuP
— SomePLAOSINT (@someplaosint) April 3, 2025
The KD-21 has been appearing underneath the H-6K bombers for two years now, and, in June 2024, Rupprecht shared a picture showing the aircraft carrying what looked like four of the munitions. In May, the H-6K was also captured on video while dropping the weapon.
There is still some confusion regarding whether the H6K-KD21 combination is now operational on account of the missile being live, or the bomber belonging to an operational unit. Another profile called it the YJ-21, saying it was being carried under the H-6K as live ammunition.
The YJ-21 is another designation for the KD-21/2PZD-21, with the “YJ” nomenclature denoting an anti-ship role. Some have also said that the YJ21/KD21/2PZD21 might be a possible adaptation of the older CM-401 AShBM (Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile).
In some of its earlier images from 2022, the KD-21 was photographed under the H-6K with “2PZD-21” stenciled on its body and a yellow band running across its length. Whether the missile is now in operational service is not clear. Likewise, whether the footage of the H-6K dropping the KD-21 in May 2024 and carrying four of them in June showed the weapon during captive carry and release trials, is also not clear.
A video from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) shows a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) H-6K Strategic Heavy Bomber carrying two operational KD-21 Air-Launched Ballistic Missiles (ALBMs) for the first time during the “Strait Thunder-2025A” exercise. pic.twitter.com/8pYDwO6Dxy
— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) April 5, 2025
When we reported about the H-6K carrying four KD-21s in June 2024, Rupprecht told The Aviationist : “[It is not clear if it is just a] drop test, an actual launch or if it was an operational launch missile or a prototype in its early development form. The big news however is that indeed for the first time, four were carried.”
Additionally, the KD21/2PZD21/YJ21 is also now appearing to be unrelated to the CM-401, given the absence of rocket vanes from the exhaust, and the latter being a much older late 1990s-era weapon.
