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The image is a graphic I have done in Google Earth. The circles are centred on Honoraria, the capital of the Solomon Islands. The red circle is the estimated combat radius of the Xian H-6K as stated by
Military Today as being 3,500 km. The black circle is the maximum estimated range of air to ground missiles that can be launched from the H-6K extending it's range out to 5,000 km. It has been reported that the CJ-10 ALCM has a range of 2,000 km and is capable of being armed with either a nuclear or conventional warhead. The aircraft is operated by both the PLAAF and PLANAF. The H-6N is the AAR variant of the H-6 with a much longer range than the H-6K, it can also carry heavier weapons than the H-6K. A H-6B reconnaissance aircraft, a HD-6 electronic warfare aircraft. It is fitted with solid nose and canoe fairing with electronic countermeasures equipment, and a HY-6 (also referred H-6U) aerial refuelling tanker. The PLANAF also operate the
Shaanxi Y-8X MPA which has a range of 5,600 km and an endurance of 10 hours.
Then there is the ubiquitous PRC fishing fleet that pillages the ocean of just about every living thing. They impact the whole ocean food chain from the benthic life through to the largest life forms in the ocean because they hollow out the food chain in the middle, the fish and the life forms on the sea floor. This causes a collapse in the local food chain leaving countries to go hungry because local fishers are left with very little, if any, fish stocks
China’s Monster Fishing Fleet Makes Other Countries Go Hungry (foreignpolicy.com). They are also going dark by switching their AIS off which is against international maritime law
China's 'dark' fishing fleets are plundering the world's oceans - ABC News.
The PRC fishing fleet has a military dimension because the fishermen when not employed to fish are part of the
Peoples Armed Forces Maritime Militia and are used to monitor, bully, ram etc., non PRC fishing and law enforcement vessels when encountered. They also interfere with Freedom Of Navigation exercises, gather acoustic, signals and imagery intelligence
The Strategic Significance, of the Chinese Fishing Fleet (army.mil).
It is already causing concern in the South Pacific with the Kingdom of Tonga voicing concerns
Chinese fishing fleet poses threat to Pacific island economies | Indo-Pacific Defense Forum (ipdefenseforum.com) and this is what we will be facing, not just ourselves but on behalf of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and the NZ Realm territories. If / when the CCP / PRC deploy coast guard vessels to protect their fishing fleet then there will be trouble because those vessels are PLAN frigates without the vast majority of the weapons systems. There will also be the deployment of PLAN fleet units to the Solomon Islands on a regular basis including ISR capable vessels and shore capabilities.
If the PLA get established there in any sufficient force, they will be difficult to remove. The battles on Guadalcanal, the rest of the Solomon Islands, and surrounding region, during WW2 testify to that. Rabaul on New Britain was only liberated after the Japanese surrender in August 1945. In 1941 NZ government started to panic about June - July when the Japanese started looking south, and panicked when the Japanese attacked Hong Kong, Philippines and Pearl Harbour. They really panicked when Singapore fell and the Japanese took the Solomon Islands. They weren't prepared for a Pacific war. In 1938 / 1939 they weren't prepared for any war. I think history maybe repeating itself.
Returning to my graphic above, Auckland is inside the redline and I believe Hamilton maybe on the line of close to it. The rest of NZ is well within air launched missile range as are all of the major Australian cities. If the H-6K are refuelled in the air, then the missile coverage is even larger. A surveillance and / or EW aircraft with A2A refuelling would be able to cover the whole of the country, especially if it was unopposed. Therefore it is my conclusion that if the PLA deploy long range aerial assets to the Solomon Islands, this will be the first time in NZ history that a potential adversary will have the capability to deploy land based combat aircraft over NZ, projecting hard power against NZ sovereignty, security, defence, and interests.
