https://www.theaustralian.com.au/br...e/news-story/57db190ed8495acf78a977c487df1f32 A Chinese vessel has directed pointed a laser at an Australian defence aircraft, the Australian Defence Force says. Melissa Iaria NCA NewsWire February 19, 2022 A Chinese navy ship has used a laser on an Australian defence aircraft in flight, in what defence officials have called a “serious safety incident”. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) said the Australian aircraft detected the laser coming from a Chinese vessel on Thursday, as it approached Australia from the north. “Acts like this have the potential to endanger lives,” the ADF said in a statement on Saturday night. The vessel, in company with another PLA-N ship, was sailing east through the Arafura Sea, located between northern Australia and Western New Guinea, at the time of the incident. “Defence can confirm that on 17 February 2022, a P-8A Poseidon detected a laser illuminating the aircraft while in flight over Australia’s northern approaches,” the ADF said. “The laser was detected as emanating from a People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLA-N) vessel. “Illumination of the aircraft by the Chinese vessel is a serious safety incident.” The head of Australian National University’s National Security College, Professor Rory Medcalf said that the incident raised “ important international security questions and vindicates concern about increasing presence of Chinese military close to Australia”. “Would Chinese forces have reacted with such restraint if a foreign navy had committed this dangerous act in China’s maritime approaches?” he tweeted. ABC defence correspondent Andrew Greene noted in a tweet that ADF assets had been increasingly targeted like this in recent years, but “this incident occurred very close to the Australian coast (inside EEZ) and involved a military vessel and military grade laser which had capability to take out aircraft sensors”. A RAAF reconnaissance photo of a People’s Liberation Army-Navy Luyang-class guided missile destroyer involved in a lasing incident with an RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Source: ADF The ADF condemned the actions as “unprofessional and unsafe” military conduct. “These actions could have endangered the safety and lives of the ADF personnel,” it said. “Such actions are not in keeping with the standards we expect of professional militaries. “We strongly condemn unprofessional and unsafe military conduct.” A PLA-N Yuzhao-class amphibious transport dock vessel in the Torres Strait on Friday. Source: ADF The vessel and the other PLA-N ship it was travelling in company with have since transited through the Torres Strait and are in the Coral Sea, the ADF said.
Simple. Point an equivalent laser at one of their fighters for a bit longer than they did. Man up democratic nations and quit playing so nicely with thugs and bullies.
The big worry I have, in the event of serious conflict with either Russia or China, they will discard every rule in the book and resort to barbarism while the West is forced to play fair. We have a situation atm in Australia, where a decorated soldier is up in front of courts for shooting a couple of Afghans in cold blood. Now I don't agree with atrocities, but were that a soldier from another non western country, I would imagine it would be ignored. Here we're not even at war with China and they behave like they don't give a shit about protocols, so how will they behave later in conflict?
Why do they behave that way? To scare others from even thinking about engaging in conflicts with them. You can play fair, but there is no limit on the amount of "fair" pain and damage you can inflict. Whether a nation, or an individual; you lose when your opponent is convinced you're afraid to fight--for whatever reason(s). NATO can defeat Russia and China. We should act like it. Guess I'm the type that believes in dying while standing instead of living while kneeling.
Both China and Russia imo have shot themselves in the foot. The West who happen to be much larger, prosperous, generous and organized no longer trust nor respect these two. The only people who still seem to have sympathy for the East are greedy stupid capitilistic fund managers who believe there's a profit to be made like Blackrock and Goldman etc.
Australia Calls China Navy Incident an ‘Act of Intimidation’ Says laser pointed at Australian patrol plane was unprovoked Australia’s military condemns unprofessional, unsafe conduct Scott MorrisonPhotographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg By Michael Heath 20 February 2022 Bloomberg Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison branded a Chinese navy vessel pointing a laser at one of his nation’s surveillance aircraft off the northern coast an “act of intimidation.” The incident occurred three days ago when a P-8A Poseidon patrol plane detected a laser from a Chinese naval ship sailing east through the Arafura Sea, Australia’s Department of Defense said in a statement late Saturday. Morrison responded early Sunday in televised comments in Melbourne. “I’m very concerned about the actions of using the lasers,” he said. “That is, I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation, one that was unprovoked, unwarranted and Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation.”
In a limited conflict I agree the West would in general stick to the "rules" of warfare. However in an all out war scenario there are plenty of historical (WW2) examples of barbaric behaviour from the West doing what it takes to win regardless of what that entails.
No nation will take an "L" over 'cheating.' We'll follow the rules so long as doing so doesn't really hurt us. __________________ "All is fair in love and war."
Mostly agree. Same goes for cyberattacks. If Russia and China are constantly at it, it should be returned tenfold. I hope there's at least a plan to plunge Russian networks into darkness once Putin invades Ukraines.