Beyond the numbers: why China’s carrier force won’t copy the US model

Defence experts say PLA carrier fleet is expected to complement land-based forces and extend reach into the western Pacific and beyond

Having marked its 99th anniversary on August 1, the People’s Liberation Army is now just a year away from its centenary goals, with its evolution highlighting the past, present and future of China’s military strategy. In the sixth part of

a series

,Gabriel Dominguez

looks at Beijing’s evolving aircraft carrier doctrine.

Yet behind the high-profile ship launches, experts say quieter changes in pilot recruitment, command structures and fleet integration point to a carrier doctrine distinct from the American model.

“The biggest misconception among Western analysts is the tendency to evaluate the [Chinese navy] through the doctrinal mirror of the US Navy,” said Brendan Mulvaney, director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute.

“Just because they have the same kinds of equipment doesn’t mean they will use it in the same way as the US. Their goals, missions and challenges are different than ours; they will come up with Chinese solutions to Chinese problems.”

China’s carrier force is evolving under strategic conditions unlike those that shaped the American naval doctrine of using carriers to project power thousands of kilometres from home.