China’s Type 076 Sichuan Trials: Are we watching another naval aviation superpower take shape?

China’s Type 076 Sichuan trials are more than a ship milestone. They show how China is building a wider naval aviation ecosystem around carriers, amphibious assault ships, drones, fixed-wing aircraft and operations beyond the First Island Chain. The result is not yet parity with the US Navy, but it is a visible shift from naval mass towards aviation-enabled maritime power.