Laser incident involving Chinese warship most serious in growing trend, ADF says

Experts say the shining of a laser at an Australian aircraft by a Chinese warship represented an escalation from a previous incident in the South China Sea. Photograph: Australian defence force/AFP/Getty Images

The Australian defence force has confirmed an “increase in the use of lasers by some vessels” but regards the latest incident involving a Chinese warship as “more serious”, officials have revealed.

Experts said the shining of a laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft by a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship last week represented an escalation from a previous incident in the South China Sea in 2019 when Australian helicopter pilots were forced to land as a precaution.