Would a rotating pilot program have kept Japanese naval aviation effective by Pearl Harbor and afterward?
Short answerIt might slightly reduce peak early-war proficiency, but it would create a broader, more sustainable force by passing veteran experience into training and mixed squadrons.
NotesJapan could have retained much of its early-war skill by cycling experienced pilots into instructor and test roles, then returning them as squadron leaders. Test work would expose veterans to new and captured aircraft, while instruction would pass combat lessons to a larger replacement pool. Splitting veteran squadrons and combining each half with new pilots would avoid fielding entirely inexperienced units. The mixed formations would spread practical knowledge through everyday flying and reduce the shock of first combat. Peak proficiency at Pearl Harbor might be slightly lower, but the force as a whole would be more sustainable.