The era of the mighty Battleships became history during the Second World War with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The US became the foremost protagonist of the Carrier Battle Group (CBG) as the prime instrument of power-projection. The 11 CBGs of the US Navy actually make that country a super power. In 1996, the dispatch of two US CBGs forced China to back down over Taiwan. This humiliation forced the Chinese to seek a novel and out of the box solution to the threat of US aircraft carriers. In the Dong Feng 21 D Anti-Ship missile it now seems to have found a very cost-effective answer. Though as yet untested in combat, the DF-21 Missiles have significantly enhanced the threat to the carriers.

An analytical overview of the Doctrine and Strategy of the Chinese PLAAF. The writer highlights that change in the PLAAF is happening across a wide front and in myriad endeavours, in operational matters, in institutional affairs and in the acquisition of new capabilities. Today, the PLAAF is more operationally capable than at any time in its past. The years 1993, 2002 and 2004 represent important benchmarks for Chinese military modernisation. In 1993, the Chinese leadership and the PLA issued the equivalent of a new national military strategy.

A perceptive article on the growth and evolution of the PLAAF. In the early years, PLAAF was conceptualised as ancillary and long range artillery of the army; PLAAF was quick to embrace RMA after the Gulf war and by the turn of the century started consolidating on various aspects like informatised and asymmetric warfare techniques and enhance its strategic power projection capability in an effort to build itself into a strategic air force by 2020.