Accueil » International

U.S. says Chinese ship fired laser at American aircraft

01 Mars, 2020, 03:06 | Auteur: Anatole Charbonneau
  • U.S. says Chinese ship fired laser at American aircraft

The U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement that a Chinese ship trained the laser on the American P-8A Poseidon aircraft in an "unsafe" and "unprofessional manner", while the P-8 was operation "in global airspace in accordance with worldwide rules and regulations". The PRC navy destroyer's actions were deemed unsafe and unprofessional.

As my colleague Franz-Stefan Gady discussed on Friday, a Poseidon P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft belonging to the U.S. Navy was targeted with what U.S. officials described as a "military grade" laser.

"Weapon grade lasers could cause serious damage to the air crew and sailors, as well as to ship and aircraft systems", Pacific Fleet said in the statement.

The Navy further noted that the Chinese destroyer violated an agreement between the Department of Defense and China's ministry of defense on how maritime encounters should be handled.

Military-grade laser beams, also known as "dazzlers", can be used to illuminate cockpits and can cause temporary blindness. It's not clear if the pilots of the PA-8 suffered temporarily blindness.

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group transits the Pacific Ocean Jan. 25 2020. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific

The incident is the latest in a string of encounters with Chinese ships in the region, as China seeks to expand its military footprint.

"Out of an abundance of caution, Pacific Fleet is implementing additional mitigations to prevent Sailors from contracting COVID-19, and to monitor Sailors who have traveled to higher-risk areas", U.S. Navy spokesman Lt. James Adam told the news outlet. "And often at the expense of others".

"While both [the Chinese and U.S. navies] have the legitimate right to carry out their activities on the high seas out there in the western Pacific - including the use of these platforms to monitor each other - the use of lasers to endanger navigation in fact represents a serious provocation", he said.

The Pentagon said that the activity posed "a true threat to our airmen". "We're just taking precautionary measures to mitigate any effects of COVID-19".

Lightning captain six to eight weeks
Obviously, Stamkos' absence leaves the Lightning with a huge hole in the middle and on their power play, which has been abysmal recently.

California reports second coronavirus case of unknown origin
There are 62 other confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And Dr Sonia Angell, director of California Department of Public Health has made attempts to reassure the public.

Cérémonie des César : une atmosphère glaciale à la salle Pleyel
Le film d'animation encensé par la presse J'ai perdu mon corps , de Jérémy Clapin, a obtenu le César du Meilleur film d'animation. Cette 45ème cérémonie des César s'est déroulée sous haute tension comme cela était à prévoir.

Conseillé:



Populaire

Public Health England delays third-round FA Cup games
It's hugely important for men to think about their mental health and take action where they can. I came from a family where we bottled up a lot of emotions, feelings and sometimes anxieties.

South Korea reports 315 more coronavirus cases, total count rises to 2,337
The Korean government earlier pledged to take maximum quarantine steps in Daegu and its surrounding province to contain the virus. An Italian man who arrived in Nigeria was confirmed as the first coronavirus case in Africa's most populous country.

New coronavirus cases in OR and Washington
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said his agency is "rapidly responding and adapting to this dynamic and evolving situation". A woman in her 50s returned from traveling in Daegu, South Korea, on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Alberta Gov't Projects Budget Deficit Of $6.8 Billion
It is now hovering at about $50 due mainly to the novel coronavirus outbreak that is reducing demand in China. A total of 684 full-time equivalent positions with the government are set to be cut this year.

Cannibalism on Rise Among Polar Bears
PBI has six simple ways anyone can help protect the future of Earth's polar bears, and none of them include a trip to the Arctic. Over the last quarter-century, Arctic ice levels by the end of summer have fallen by 40 percent, said Sokolov.

Pritzker: Coronavirus risk is low in Illinois, but officials prepared
The virus reportedly originated in China but has since spread to every continent on the globe except Antarctica. As of Tuesday, 59 cases have been confirmed in the us , but no one has died of the virus.

Après Polanski, l'équipe du film "J'accuse" renonce à se rendre aux César
C'est sous une tension plus que palpable que s'est déroulée la 45e cérémonie des César ce 28 février. Mais l'une d'entre elle, et pas la moindre, a pris la défense du réalisateur: Fanny Ardant.

Dow falls more than 4% amid coronavirus stock rout
Shares in airlines have been especially hard-hit as travel bans are imposed and companies limit staff travel. Dozens of firms have warned of disruptions to their supply chains and a decline in consumer demand.

À Doha, accord attendu entre les Américains et les talibans
La délégation américaine était conduite par le chef de la diplomatie Mike Pompeo et le négociateur américain Zalmay Khalilzad. Les Etats-Unis et les talibans on signé un accord de paix, samedi 29 février, après 18 ans de guerre.

Sanders Says Trump 'Misleading' Public on Coronavirus, Pence Unqualified to Head Response
Critics have pointed to the HIV outbreak to argue that Pence is the wrong person to lead the response. Alex Azar is the chairman of the government's coronavirus task force for the government broadly.

Dernier

Tendances