China's aircraft carrier docks at Qingdao

Liaoning arrives at home port after upgrade program in Dalian finished

China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, dropped anchor for the first time at a naval port on Wednesday morning.

After a 22-hour voyage, the Liaoning emerged from the fog and anchored in Qingdao, at around 8 am, footage from the China Central Television showed. The name of the port was not identified.

The carrier embarked from the Dalian shipyard in Liaoning province, where it underwent upgrades, at about 9:30 am on Tuesday. On the way to Qingdao it conducted weapons system tests, according to Xinhua.

"The Liaoning settling in its new home means that the carrier no longer needs further tests by the shipbuilder," Zhang Junshe, a senior researcher at the People's Liberation Army Naval Military Studies Research Institute, said.

The Liaoning will focus on training exercises with its escort ships, and it will take at least two to three years before China's first carrier battle group obtains full combat capability, he said. "The next phase of training will also prioritize exercises for carrier-based aircraft, including night operations and combat capabilities."