Last week, a Chinese warship fired a laser beam at an American reconnaissance plane in the Philippine Sea, 600 kilometers west of the island of Guam, one of the United States' territories and headquarters of several military bases. The US Navy in a statement revealed the incident. Chinese warships are equipped with highly destructive high-energy laser weapons that can damage aircraft and even blind pilots. The object of the attack was a military aircraft Boeing P-8 Poseidon which flew over international waters, according to the Pentagon, reported no damage. He had left Kadena Air Base in the Japanese city of Okinawa. The US Pacific Fleet is responsible for surveillance missions in Asian seas. In its statement, the Navy said that "laser weapons could cause serious damage to crews and sailors, as well as naval and air systems," and described the attack as "very risky" and "reckless". This incident comes after months of tensions between Washington and Beijing, due to China's growing naval expansionism in Asia. As the Pentagon chief said a few weeks ago, Mark Esper, "we have seen them take and militarize islands in the South China Sea, and rapidly modernize their armed forces, while trying to use emerging technologies to alter the balance of power and reshape the world for their benefit and often at the expense of others ". Among these new weapons are the powerful laser weapons.
