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Why is it Hard for China's Carriers to Copy U.S. Military Experience?
Why is it so difficult to replicate the "software"—the experience—of the U.S. Navy?
Why can't combat experience be rushed?
Recently, the development of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carriers has captured global attention. The Fujian's series of sea trials demonstrates the rapid progress of China's carrier technology. The successful test of its electromagnetic catapult system has elevated China's carriers to a world-class level in terms of hardware. However, a carrier's combat effectiveness isn't just about the steel and machinery you can see and touch. When we look at the global stage, the U.S. military, with over 70 years of carrier combat experience and a global operational footprint, has built a complex and highly efficient carrier "ecosystem." This raises a critical question: while China has developed top-tier carrier hardware in just over two decades, how significant is the gap in "software" — that is, personnel experience, multi-service synergy, a global alliance system, and damage control capabilities? And what impact could this gap have in a future high-intensity conflict? Today, let's break this down.
Let's start with personnel experience. U.S. carrier battle group personnel are seasoned veterans. From the Pacific theater in World War II to later conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Iraq, U.S. carrier battle groups have participated in almost every major military conflict of the past half-century. For example, U.S. carrier pilots average hundreds of flight hours per year, a significant portion of which is in live combat or highly simulated combat environments. During the Gulf War, U.S. carrier-based aircraft flew over 100,000 sorties, and the pilots accumulated rich combat skills in complex battlefield conditions, making them adept at ground attack, anti-ship strikes, and aerial dogfights.
In contrast, the Chinese Navy, having long been in a period of peaceful development, lacks the crucible of real combat. China's carrier program began with the Liaoning just over a decade ago, and its pilot training system is still evolving. While the Chinese Navy has recently tried to compensate for this lack of experience with high-intensity training—such as multiple annual long-range exercises with complex electromagnetic environments and simulated enemy attacks—the gap remains significant compared to decades of U.S. combat experience. However, we shouldn't underestimate the Chinese Navy's learning ability and training results. With a continuously optimized training system, the growth rate of Chinese carrier pilots is astonishing. Given enough time, this combat experience gap can be greatly narrowed through scientific training.