China Laser Incident: Chinese Ship Shines Laser At Australian Aircraft

China Laser Incident: Chinese Ship Shines Laser At Australian Aircraft

ARAFURA SEA, AUSTRALIA — Chinese laser incident summary.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked the Chinese government to explain what he called the ‘dangerous’ act of shining a laser at an Australian P-8A surveillance aircraft that was tracking two People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels through the Arafura Sea, inside Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, on February 17, according to CNN.

Chinese state newspaper The Global Times cited an anonymous military analyst who said the equipment involved in the incident was a laser range finder, used to measure the distance between the ship and the aircraft, and said its use was normal if an aircraft got too close to a vessel.

One maritime security expert cited by The Guardian, however, said if pilots were ‘dazzled,’ it could affect their ability to safely land and, more seriously, the use of a laser could be seen as a precursor to firing a weapon.

China’s defense ministry said Australia’s aircraft got within 4 kilometers of its vessels, while an Australian defense spokesperson said the distance was approximately 7.7 kilometers.