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A Chinese Navy missile boat used a “high intensity” laser three times against a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft conducting a maritime surveillance over the West Philippine Sea, putting the Filipino crew in danger.
The incident took place midday Friday while 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 (Half Moon) Shoal, a feature located just about 111 kilometers (60 nautical miles) off Palawan, according to a brief summary report by BFAR shared with the Inquirer.
Moments later, one of the two Chinese Navy missile boats shone a laser against the BFAR aircraft.
Its pilots issued a radio challenge to the Chinese vessel to stop the laser pointing but got no response. One of the Chinese missile boats instead fired laser two more times at about five minutes apart.
The laser illuminated a “high intensity white light,” causing discomfort to the pilots’ eyes, the report read.
The latest confrontation occurred a day after the Philippine Navy completed a resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal with “no threat” from Chinese vessels operating nearby.
