This photo taken on April 9, 2023 shows a J-15 fighter ready to take off from aircraft carrier Shandong during the combat readiness patrol and military exercises around the Taiwan Island carried out by the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). (Photo by An Ni/Xinhua)

China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, gracefully departed from dock for its final maritime training exercise of 2024, bathed in the golden winter sunlight at a naval port in Sanya, Hainan, China's southernmost island province.

Five years ago, on Dec. 17, 2019, the Shandong was officially delivered to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, heralding the dawn of the country's dual-carrier era.

Named after Shandong Province, it is China's second aircraft carrier, following the Liaoning, a refitted Soviet Union-made vessel that was commissioned in 2012.

Since entering active service, the Shandong has been rapidly integrated into joint operations and long-range maritime combat systems, with the carrier strike group's operational capabilities steadily advancing.

"The joint effectiveness of the carrier strike group is key to its combat power," said a commander of the Shandong.

This was demonstrated in April 2023, when the Eastern Theater Command of the PLA launched a combat readiness patrol and military exercises around Taiwan Island.

During the exercises, the Shandong carrier strike group, stationed east of Taiwan, coordinated with forward-deployed maritime and air forces to perform air defense, anti-submarine and other missions. J-15 carrier-based aircraft launched in succession, swiftly establishing the strike group's combat system in the exercise area.

As a vital force for long-range operations, the Shandong remains poised to deter threats from afar during peacetime and strike decisively during wartime.

Flight officer Zeng Wenhui recalled an incident when foreign reconnaissance aircraft approached. After receiving the order, they swiftly launched fighter jets. "Once airborne, our jets forced the provocative aircraft to retreat."

From individual ship training to fleet exercises, and from nearshore drills to long-range missions, the Shandong has achieved a number of milestones and achievements.

The Shandong has consistently set new records for the most consecutive aircraft takeoffs and landings.

In October 2024, the formations of aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong carried out a dual-carrier formation exercise for the first time in the South China Sea. During the drill, J-15 fighters flew in a wedge formation over the two-carrier groups.

China unveiled its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, in June 2022. The carrier, named after Fujian Province, is China's first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier. With a full-load displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes, the Fujian features a straight flight deck with electromagnetic catapults and arrestor gear.

The Fujian completed its first sea trials in May 2024, with further trials planned as construction continues.