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

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.Debate over China’s aircraft carrier ambitions has long centred on how many carriers it will build, with the Pentagon last year estimating that Beijing planned to expand its fleet to nine by 2035.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.