The elite system depended on controlled escalation

In this interpretation, Japan's elite aviation system suited wars in which Japanese leaders could control escalation. The Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, and the Second Sino-Japanese War each allowed Japan to choose or dominate the scale of its commitment instead of responding to an opponent capable of matching every increase. Under those conditions, widening the applicant pool without reconsidering training standards seemed workable. A war whose losses and tempo were imposed from outside required a much larger proportion of acceptable pilots, exposing the gap between maintaining excellence and generating enough combat power.