As a cornerstone of China's strategic deterrence and long-range strike capabilities, the H-6 bomber family made a striking appearance during the V-Day military parade in Beijing on Wednesday. The grand parade, held at the Tian'anmen Square, marked the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. During the parade, three H-6N, three H-6K, and three H-6J bombers flew in three echelons over the Tian'anmen Square in a powerful demonstration of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force's growing strategic reach and combat readiness. Among them, the H-6J made its parade debut, emerging as a new and versatile component of China's joint combat system, designed for long-range precision strikes. "The H-6J has an additional reconnaissance pod compared with the H-6K, like giving it an extra pair of eyes. It can detect and track maritime targets at greater distances and over a wider area. The H-6N goes a step further with its prominent 'nose', granting it aerial refueling capability and significantly extending its operational range," said Cai Suliang, a pilot from a PLA Air Force unit who participated in the parade this time. "The collective appearance of the H-6 family demonstrates our powerful strategic air combat capability. It shows the PLA Air Force's ability to deter strong adversaries and dominate the skies. Meanwhile, it sends a clear message to the world: the Chinese people are firmly committed to defending peace," he also said. For weapon systems officers like Ning Yinfei, mission success hinges on precision. Serving as the weapon systems officer on the left wing of the H-6K formation during the parade, Ning played a key role in planning the echelon's flight route to ensure that the flight was accurate to the second. "As weapon systems officers, we have two main responsibilities: first, operating the aircraft's airborne weapons systems; second, navigating the plane along the planned route to the designated location to carry out the assigned mission," said Ning. Behind every successful flight is a team of dedicated ground crews. Lu Zan, an aircraft maintenance officer, leads his team on the tarmac before and after every flight, conducting meticulous inspections to ensure aircraft readiness. For this parade, Lu collaborated closely with flight crews to study data link usage tailored to the mission's unique demands, effectively supporting the smooth and successful execution of formation flying. "This is my third time participating in a military parade. Beyond the pressure, what I feel most is a deep sense of honor and inspiration. Moving forward, we maintenance personnel will turn this experience into inner motivation, integrating it into our meticulous support for every flight, ensuring all missions are completed safely and successfully," said Lu. SHOTLIST: Beijing, China - Sept 3, 2025 1. Various of H-6 bombers flying in echelons during military parade; Beijing, China - Recent 2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Cai Suliang, pilot, PLA Air Force unit (starting with shot 1/ending with shots 3-7): "The H-6J has an additional reconnaissance pod compared with the H-6K, like giving it an extra pair of eyes. It can detect and track maritime targets at greater distances and over a wider area. The H-6N goes a step further with its prominent 'nose', granting it aerial refueling capability and significantly extending its operational range. The collective appearance of the H-6 family demonstrates our powerful strategic air combat capability. It shows the PLA Air Force's ability to deter strong adversaries and dominate the skies. Meanwhile, it sends a clear message to the world: the Chinese people are firmly committed to defending peace."; Beijing, China - Sept 3, 2025 3. Various of details of H-6 bomber; 4. H-6 bomber flying; 5. H-6 bombers flying in echelons; 6. Badge with words reading "PLA Air Force"; China - Recent 7. Various of H-6 bombers taxiing, taking off, flying; Beijing, China - Sept 3, 2025 8. Various of H-6 bombers flying in echelons during military parade; Beijing, China - Recent 9. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Yinfei, weapon systems officer, PLA Air Force unit (starting with shot 8/ending with shot 10): "As weapon systems officers, we have two main responsibilities: first, operating the aircraft's airborne weapons systems; second, navigating the plane along the planned route to the designated location to carry out the assigned mission."; Beijing, China - Sept 3, 2025 10. Tian'anmen Square, Chang'an Avenue; Beijing, China - Recent 11. Various of H-6 bombers taxiing; 12. Various of maintenance staff checking facilities of H-6 bombers; 13. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lu Zan, aircraft maintenance officer, PLA Air Force unit (starting with shot 12/ending with shot 14): "This is my third time participating in a military parade. Beyond the pressure, what I feel most is a deep sense of honor and inspiration. Moving forward, we maintenance personnel will turn this experience into inner motivation, integrating it into our meticulous support for every flight, ensuring all missions are completed safely and successfully."; 14. Various of maintenance staff checking facilities of H-6 bombers; China - Recent 15. Various of H-6 bombers taxiing, taking off. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]