Chinese Warship Fires Military Laser At RAAF Aircraft

The firing of a military-grade laser at an RAAF aircraft from a Chinese navy ship has been slammed as “unprofessional and unsafe”

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has confirmed that at 12.35am last Thursday, an RAAF P-8A Poseidon was hit by a highly dangerous military-grade laser, whilst monitoring a Chinese destroyer, armed with surface-to-air missiles, guns and anti-submarine torpedoes, along with an amphibious transport dock vessel in the Arafura Sea.

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The incident, which occurred in international waters, was still in Australia’s exclusive economic zone and within sight of the mainland north of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

In a statement released on Saturday evening, the Defence Department said it had “detected a laser illuminating the aircraft while in flight over Australia’s northern approaches”.

“The laser was detected as emanating from a People’s Liberation Army-Navy vessel. Illumination of the aircraft by the Chinese vessel is a serious safety incident. Acts like this have the potential to endanger lives.”

“We strongly condemn unprofessional and unsafe military conduct,” the ADF said.

“These actions could have endangered the safety and lives of the ADF personnel.”

“Such actions are not in keeping with the standards we expect of professional militaries,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Sunday that China will have to explain their actions as “... to why a military vessel, a naval vessel, in Australia’s exclusive economic zone would undertake such an act, such a dangerous act, in relation to an Australian surveillance aircraft legitimately ... doing their job...”

"I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one that it unprovoked, unwarranted. And Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation," Morrison said. "It was a dangerous act ... I thought it was a reckless and irresponsible act."

"And that act of intimidation is not just a message that I suppose they are trying to send to Australia, a message we will respond to, but a sign of the sort of threats and intimidation that can occur to any country in our region, and that’s why we need to band together."

- PM Morrison

The incident is being viewed as a major escalation of Chinese aggression in the region.

It comes as national security is set to become a key issue at this year’s federal election.

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