A video released by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force appears to depict a nuclear-capable Chinese H-6k bomber dropping a bomb on Andersen Air Force Base in the U.S. island territory of Guam.
The video was originally shared on the PLA Air Force’s Weibo account on Saturday, according to Reuters. The video has since been downloaded and shared to U.S. sites like YouTube and Twitter.
“#CCP released a video on #Weibo, which is about #China PLA Air Force Xian H-6K simulated bombing the #US 🇺🇸 military base in #Guam. #China,” journalist Aslam Khan tweeted with a copy of the PLA Air Force video.
#CCP released a video on #Weibo, which is about #China 🇨🇳 PLA Air Force Xian H-6K simulated bombing the #US 🇺🇸 military base in #Guam. #China
pic.twitter.com/lch8oErQ9a— Aslam Khan (@aslamkhanbombay) September 20, 2020
The PLA Air Force video, titled “The god of war H-6K goes on the attack!” depicts the Chinese bomber, derived from the Russian Tupolev Tu-16, taking off and carrying out a bombing mission. In the video, the bomber launches a missile, which can be seen streaking towards the ground. The video cuts to a satellite image, which appears to show the layout of Anderson Air Force base, being targeted by the missile. The missile then explodes in a fireball.
“We are the defenders of the motherland’s aerial security; we have the confidence and ability to always defend the security of the motherland’s skies,” according to a translation of the Chinese air force video, reported by Reuters.
The video comes amid tensions between the U.S. and China in the disputed South China Sea. Guam is situated in the Philippine Sea, to the east of the disputed South China Sea region.
The video comes as China has stepped up flights, including with H-6K bombers, around the island nation of Taiwan, which lies to the west of Guam.
Collin Koh, a research fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies told Reuters, “The video is meant to warn the Americans that even supposedly safe, rearward positions such as Guam may come under threat when conflicts over regional flashpoints, be it Taiwan or South China Sea, erupt.”
In January of 2019, test-fired two of its Dongfeng DF-26 ballistic missiles, dubbed “Guam killers” for their ability to carry nuclear warheads up to 3,400 miles, within range of Anderson Air Force Base in Guam.
In recent years, China has placed an increased emphasis on its anti-access area denial (A2AD) strategy, which aims to stop the U.S. ability to deploy its forces to the South China Sea and disputed areas of the Pacific, should conflict arise. An attack on Guam could hinder a major part of the U.S. ability to respond to conflict in the region.
