On September 25, 2012, the era of Chinese aircraft carriers officially began with the delivery of the aircraft carrier the Liaoning to the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Liaoning's crew acknowledged the 10th birthday at sea with the highest naval protocol.

The Chinese Navy has launched two more aircraft carriers in the past decade, the Shandong and the Fujian. In that time, the Liaoning carrier group's combat capabilities have been continuously enhanced.