Chinese carrier aviation taking off

(Olivia Parker, Dzaky Naradichiantama – IISS) Chinese President Xi Jinping became Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Central Military Commission in November 2012, two months after the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its first ever aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. Since then, two additional carriers have been commissioned, with more planned. Aircraft-carrier development has become a highly visible and prestigious part of China’s military modernisation under Xi’s leadership. The importance of carrier aviation within the PLAN has consequently grown over this period. Over the past few years land-based aviation units have been transferred from the PLAN to the PLA Air Force in order to enable this focus, signalling the prioritised development of carrier aviation capabilities. This priority is evident in the number of new carrier aviation units and the shifting curriculum of carrier training. However, the role of pilots in the running and administration of the PLAN and the joint service remains less certain. The similarities and differences between Chinese and American perspectives on these issues offer interesting insight. The United States, as the premier carrier operator, provides a baseline against which to compare China’s current developments. – Chinese carrier aviation taking off