A Chinese Navy missile boat directed a military-grade laser at a Philippine aircraft over the Sea,

A Chinese Navy missile boat directed a military-grade laser at a Philippine aircraft over the South China Sea, seemingly as part of an ongoing intimidation campaign against Manila amid rising tensions between the two nations. A Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft conducting maritime surveillance on September 28 over the West Philippine Sea was reportedly targeted three times by a Chinese Navy missile boat using a “high intensity” laser, endangering the crew of the Filipino aircraft. A summary report from BFAR shared with the Inquirer states: A BFAR Cessna patrol aircraft spotted a Chinese coast guard vessel with bow No. 21555 and two navy Type 22 Houbei-class missile boats chasing two BFAR vessels (BRP Taradipit and BRP Romapenet) near Hasa-Hasa Shoal. The shoal is a feature located just about 111 kilometers off Palawan. Shortly after, the BFAR aircraft was targeted by a laser beam from one of the Chinese Navy’s two missile boats. The BFAR pilots radioed the Chinese vessel to request they cease firing the laser but received no reply. Coast Guard Expands Reach In The Arctic; U.S. Super Hercules Detects The ‘Unusual Patrol’ Instead, about five minutes later, one of the Chinese missile boats fired two more laser shots. According to the report, the “high-intensity white light” that the laser produced caused extreme discomfort in the pilot’s eyes. The incident has triggered a fierce reaction in Manila. The National Maritime Council said on October 1 that the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) firing a laser at a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft in the West Philippine Sea was a serious matter for the Philippines. In a message to GMA News Online, the NMC spokesperson, Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, termed the incident a “gross violation of international laws,” including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). ”We don’t take this lightly, as such irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions conducted well within our EEZ impacts on the safety and security of overflights in our maritime domain, notwithstanding a gross violation of international laws and the UNCLOS,” Lopez said. Russian Su-35 ‘Headbutts’ U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon Over Alaska ADIZ; NORAD Releases Footage Of Incident China’s Type-22 or Houbei-Class missile boat also chased the BRP Romapenet on September 27, with the crew of ABC-CBN news outlet aboard. The Type 22 Chinese missile boat is designed to operate in China’s littoral zone and conduct coastal patrols. It can carry twelve crew members and is armed with eight anti-ship missiles, making it a significant threat. This is not the first instance of a Chinese aircraft harassing a Filipino aircraft conducting a routine patrol over the South China Sea. Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in such incidents, triggering concerns of an escalation. In August this year, a Philippine fisheries bureau plane was threatened by laser flares shot from a Chinese island base. As the BFAR Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft approached Subi Reef, it observed flares being fired from the fishing atoll, which China has transformed into a militarized island base. Laser Showdown! U.S. Navy Deploys Directed Energy Weapons-Armed Warship In Japan Amid China Threats China’s use of military-grade lasers is not limited to use in the air. In February 2023, China was accused by the Philippines of training military-grade lasers at a ship to scuttle a resupply mission to a marooned Filipino ship at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. WATCH: In an act of "blatant disregard" of the Philippine sovereign rights, the Philippine Coast Guard shares video of Chinese Coast Guard vessel pointing "military grade" laser towards PCG vessel, causing "temporary blindness" of its crew. | @JEMendozaINQ pic.twitter.com/u2GdTd9rwg China, nonetheless, has a history of deploying military-grade lasers or dazzlers to intimidate foreign aircraft. In May 2024, Australia alleged that China fired flares in the path of an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, which was flying over international waters of the Yellow Sea on an international patrol. 2nd Time Unlucky! After Surviving 1st Attack, Ukraine “Sinks” Russian Submarine That Moscow Just Fixed – Reports This marked the second occasion when the Australian crew faced a threat from a Chinese laser. In May 2022, a J-16 aircraft of the PLA Air Force reportedly fired these lasers at an Australian P-8A flying over the South China Sea. China has also shone military lasers on US pilots. In 2018, the Chinese military stationed in Djibouti was accused by US officials of threatening US pilots with a laser fired at a US C-130J aircraft. Later, in 2020, the US Navy accused China of firing a military-grade laser at its P-8 Surveillance aircraft flying over the Pacific. Israeli F-35 Fighters: CNN Journo Shares ‘First-Hand’ Account Of IAF Jets Bombing Yemen’s Hodeidah Port Military-grade laser beams, sometimes known as “dazzlers,” create