In an online commentary, Ben Ho Wan Beng, an Assoc Research Fellow with the Military Studies Programme at RSIS discussed the debate over the centrality of the aircraft carrier in fleet structure, which continues unabated over 70 years since it came of age during World War II.

… Ben Ho Wan Beng is an Associate Research Fellow with the Military Studies Programme at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He writes primarily on naval affairs, and has published widely on maritime aviation and aircraft carriers. This article is adapted from remarks he delivered at the panel titled “Debate: The Continuing Relevance of the Aircraft Carrier” during the “Maritime Security Challenges 2018: Pacific Seapower” symposium held last month in Victoria, Canada.