Germany accuses China of targeting spy plane with a laser
The German foreign ministry said the incident involved an aircraft taking part in Aspides, an EU mission to defend trade ships in the Red Sea from Houthi rocket attacks.
Berlin summoned the Chinese ambassador on Tuesday in response to the incident.
'The endangerment of German personnel and the disruption of the operation are totally unacceptable. The Chinese ambassador was summoned today to the Foreign Office,' the German foreign ministry said in a statement.
According to German media, the incident took place on July 2 near the coast of Yemen, where the Houthi militia group has launched new attacks on cargo ships passing through the Red Sea.
The German aircraft was taking part in a routine flight and was 'blinded' without warning by a laser projected from a Chinese military ship, the Bild newspaper reported.
A German ministry of defence spokesman said the aircraft was an MSP (Multi-Sensor Platform), a type of surveillance aircraft often fitted with high-powered cameras and thermal vision.
'During a routine mission over the Red Sea as part of Aspides, an MSP aircraft used for maritime surveillance was lasered by a Chinese warship which had already been encountered in the area several times, and without any reason or prior contact,' the spokesman told Bild.
'The use of the laser was a risk to personnel and equipment.'
After being hit by the laser, the German plane's crew abandoned their mission and returned to their base in Djibouti, in the Gulf of Aden.
It is not the first time China has been accused of using lasers to interfere with Western aircraft flying over the Red Sea or surrounding area.
In 2018, lasers were pointed at US military aircraft from a Chinese base, also in Djibouti, with the crew suffering minor injuries. The United States lodged a formal protest at the time, but China denied any involvement.
Lasers are a significant security risk to aircraft, because if they are pointed at a pilot they can distract them or cause temporary blindness.
In the UK, using any laser device to harass an aircraft can lead to an unlimited fine or a prison sentence.
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