The recruitment number of carrier-based fighter jet pilots of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy this year hit a record high, official Chinese media revealed on Friday. A Chinese military affairs expert said that the increase in recruitment is crucial for boosting the combat effectiveness of aircraft carriers, reflecting the growing number and variety of carrier-based aircraft on board Chinese carriers, and also suggesting the future fleet of carriers may expand.

The PLA Navy’s 2025 pilot recruitment process has recently been completed successfully, according to the military channel of China Central Television (CCTV) on Friday.

This year’s intake includes graduates from regular high schools, students from naval aviation schools, as well as fresh bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates from both military and civilian universities, with recruitment sources becoming increasingly diverse and optimized. The candidates' scores of the national college entrance exam (also known as the gaokao), the number of those meeting the standards for carrier-based fighter pilots, and the proportion of qualified applicants have all reached record levels, the CCTV report said.

“The fact that pilot recruitments have reached a new high shows that the intake is steadily increasing, which aligns with the development trend of China’s carrier-based aircraft,” Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Friday.

Fu said that as the types and numbers of carrier-based aircraft continue to grow, more qualified pilots are needed. Through progressive selection and training, pilots are prepared to eventually operate from aircraft carriers.

Multiple training pathways help broaden the talent pool, extend pilot careers, and improve overall quality, Fu added.

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, commissioned in September 2012, and the Shandong, which is China’s second carrier and also the first one domestically built, entered naval service in December 2019. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is undergoing sea trials. It is the country’s first domestically designed and built catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, features a straight flight deck with electromagnetic catapults and arrestor gear, according to official media reports.

Fu said that the number of aircraft carried varies between carriers, so pilot demand also differs.

“The Liaoning carries around 20 to 30 fighter jets, while the Shandong, thanks to its more optimized design, can carry more. The Fujian uses an electromagnetic catapult system, which allows for more frequent takeoffs compared to the ski-jump system. It will also be equipped with new aircraft types such as early warning aircraft, increasing demand for both pilots and command personnel,” Fu said.

Official media reports indicate that both the variety and quantity of China’s carrier-based aircraft are expanding. The J-15 is China’s first fixed-wing carrier-based fighter, while the upgraded J-15T fighter jet and the J-15D electronic warfare aircraft were unveiled at the Airshow China 2024 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. The upgraded J-15 fighters boast upgraded avionics and weapons systems, and a refined airframe structure, resulting in enhanced combat capabilities.

Meanwhile, a model of the carrier-borne J-35 stealth fighter jet was also unveiled at the airshow along with the PLA Air Force’s J-35A variant. The J-35A is equipped with a homegrown engine and a human-machine interaction design, enabling it to perform both air superiority and strike missions against ground and maritime targets, the Xinhua News Agency reported at the time. Wang Yongqing, the chief designer of multiple types of aircraft as well as the chief expert of the Shenyang Aircraft Design and Research Institute of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), told the Global Times in an exclusive interview in June that the debut of the J-35A and the first exhibit of a model of the J-35 witnessed at the Airshow China 2024 is the fruition of the "air-sea twin configuration" design philosophy.

The number of carrier-based pilots typically exceeds the number of aircraft, Fu said. “This ensures operational readiness even if some pilots are temporarily unavailable. Additionally, some aircraft require two-person crews. The diversity of missions also demands a higher number of pilots than aircraft.”

“In the future, pilots in carrier aviation units will need to not only fly aircraft but also operate electronic warfare systems. This raises the bar for professional skills and expands the demand for talent across disciplines. Therefore, accelerating pilot training is imperative,” Fu added.