A J-15 fighter took off this week from aircraft carrier Shandong, demonstrating the war ship's good condition after its commission to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. The Type 002 carrier, Shandong (hull number 17) was delivered and commissioned on December 17. The Shandong ship is China's first independently designed, built and outfitted aircraft carrier. Construction of the carrier began in November 2013. It was launched in April 2017 at a shipyard in Dalian City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, and conducted its first sea trial in May 2018.