Australia's prime minister accused China of an "act of intimidation" on Sunday after Canberra said a Chinese naval vessel shone a laser at one of the country's defence aircraft.

The ship was one of two Chinese navy vessels sailing through waters off Australia's northern coast on Thursday when it illuminated a surveillance aircraft in an incident that had "the potential to endanger lives," the defence department said.

"I can see it no other way than an act of intimidation," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, terming the act "unwarranted and unprovoked".

Australia's Defence Minister Peter Dutton echoed his concerns, saying it was "a very aggressive act".

"I think the Chinese government is hoping that nobody talks about these aggressive bullying acts," Dutton told Sky News on Sunday.

According to the defence ministry, the ships were sailing east through the Arafura Sea, just north of Australia.

The Chinese government has not responded to the allegations from Australia.

China last faced accusations of targeting Australian aircraft using military-grade lasers in 2019, when Australian Defence Force helicopters were illuminated over the South China Sea.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

US military aims to reassure rattled eastern NATO allies
Powidz, Poland (AFP) Feb 18, 2022
At the Powidz base in Poland, US soldiers said they hoped the growing US presence in a key NATO ally bordering Ukraine would reassure the region as a whole amid security tensions with Russia. The base is a key logistics hub for the US deployment in Poland, which has more than doubled in recent days to around 9,000 troops in response to Moscow's military build-up around Ukraine. "What we are focused on is assuring our allies and partners in the region that the US is here," Lieutenant General John ... read more