 "China tests advanced missile similar to one likely used by Israel on Iran")
A newly released People's Liberation Army (PLA) video emerged on Wednesday, showing a Chinese H-6K bomber aircraft testing a new air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM), a system similar to the Russian Kinzhal missile used in Ukraine and perhaps even to the weapon Israel used in last month's retaliation against Iran.
The development was first reported by The War Zone, an online defence news portal, which described the Chinese ALBM as being part of the country's arsenal of anti-access/area-denial systems. According to the report, the shadowy missile was at one time considered to be an anti-ship weapon -- an assessment that might need to be revisited.
The footage of the ALBM being released from the bomber was part of an official PLA video, which was demonstrating the capabilities of the H-6K, a modernised version of the H-6 bomber, which in turn is a Chinese derivative of the Soviet-era Tu-16 Badger heavy bomber. In the video, the missile can be seen being released from a pylon under the bomber's wing.
While the H-6 has a range of almost 6,000 kilometres (km), the H-6K's more efficient engines mean it could fly significantly further.
Details about the new Chinese ALBM are scarce, but The War Zone reports that it is similar to or belongs to the family of a missile that was displayed at the 2022 Airshow China in Zhuhai.
The designation '2PZD-21' is printed on the side of the ALBM.
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According to The War Zone portal, while this is the only known official designation for the ALBM, the weapon could be named either KD-21 or YJ-21 -- designations that denote either a land-attack or anti-ship missile, respectively.
China has at least two other types of ALBMs, which are widely regarded to be anti-ship or 'carrier killer' weapons meant to target the adversary's aircraft carriers.
Similar to Russia's Kinzhal missile
But, the choice of launch platform, the H-6K, which is a land-attack aircraft, suggests that the 2PZD-21 will be used to attack land targets, placing it in a class of weapons that would be similar to the Russian Kinzhal missile.
The Kinzhal, which is an air-launched version of the Iskander short-range ballistic missile, is launched from Russian MiG-31 Foxhound aircraft and has been used during the war in Ukraine.
Thus, The War Zone assesses that like the Kinzhal, the 2PZD-21 ALBM might also be derived from a land-based missile system like the the CM-401 anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), which it bears a close resemblance to. The CM-401 ASBM reportedly reaches speeds between Mach 4 and 6 during its terminal phase as it approaches its target.
The range and other capabilities of the new missile are not known at present.
Built by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, the ground-launched and ship-launched versions of CM-401 have a maximum range of just over 290 km.
However, even if the 2PZD-21 ALBM is based on the CM-401 missile, its range would be greatly increased thanks to being air launched.
Still, it might not be capable of striking targets as far off as Russia's Kinzhal ALBM, which has a range of approximately 1,500-2,000 km, according to US think-tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The Kinzhal might also be faster, with its widely believed speed of Mach 10.
Like the Kinzhal, the 2PZD-21 likely achieves its hypersonic speed by employing a "quasi-ballistic" flight trajectory without departing the atmosphere.
Not a next-gen hypersonic weapon
However, neither the Chinese 2PZD-21 ALBM nor the Kinzhal are either a glide vehicle or a cruise missile. Therefore, they cannot be considered new-age, advanced hypersonic weapons of the type that are being developed by the major powers.
The US, China and Russia possess the most advanced hypersonic weapons programmes. However, Australia, India, Germany, France and Japan are also developing such systems.
Israel may have proved ALBMs' potency
This doesn't mean that the Chinese 2PZD-21 ALBM doesn't pose a significant threat, as evidenced by the recent exchange of hostilities between Israel and Iran.
On April 18, Israel conducted an airstrike near Isfahan in Iran, in response to the April 13 Iranian attack on Israel that involved a large salvo of drones and missiles.
While many details of the strike are still unknown, analysts believe that Israel attacked Iranian targets with its Sparrow air-launched ballistic missiles.
While Iran claimed that their air defences were able to intercept the attack, analysts doubt such claims given Iran's capabilities. Israel is believed to have conducted the attack and used such a potent, long-range weapon to send the message to Tehran that it can reach out and strike its facilities.
The possible use of ALBMs by Israel came after Tehran on April 13 launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel from Iranian territory.
The attack, designated "Operation True Promise", saw around 170 drones, 120 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles being launched at Israel, with most of them being intercepted by Israeli forces and their allies.
The attack was in retaliation to an April 1 Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic base in Damascus, Syria, which killed seven officers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.