Photo: theregister.co.uk
The Republic of Djibouti is a country in the Horn of Africa, with a population of some 1 million people. Being located within striking distance of the Middle East and other current U.S. military targets, the country is home to Camp Lemonnier, the States' only permanent military base in Africa.
Coincidently, Djibouti also houses a Chinese military base. It is, in fact, the only Chinese military base outside, well, China. Placed there because of the country in within striking distance from the Indian Ocean and India itself.
Officially, China’s base aims to support peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
Last month, airmen from the Lemonnier base were warned in a notice sent by the U.S. military that they may be in danger of being hit with laser beams coming from the Chinese base. The warning is in effect until June 14.
According to Army Times, the notice was not without cause, as on Thursday Defense Department’s spokeswoman Dana White said that two American C-130 pilots suffered minor injuries after being hit with a military-grade laser.
As a result of the incident, the U.S. has sent an official diplomatic complaint to China, asking authorities there to look into these incidents.
“They are very serious incidents,” White said according to the source. “This activity poses a true threat to our airmen.”
The exact details of these incidents or the lasers used by the Chinese have of course not been released. It’s not clear whether the pilots were airborne at the time of the incident or nowhere near their plane.
The physics of modern day lasers are simpler than the one seen in science fiction movies. Currently, there are no lasers powerful enough to shoot things from the sky.
But we all know what even the tiniest of them can do to one’s eyes, and it is exactly in this manner that these lasers are being used.
Officially, China’s base aims to support peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
Last month, airmen from the Lemonnier base were warned in a notice sent by the U.S. military that they may be in danger of being hit with laser beams coming from the Chinese base. The warning is in effect until June 14.
According to Army Times, the notice was not without cause, as on Thursday Defense Department’s spokeswoman Dana White said that two American C-130 pilots suffered minor injuries after being hit with a military-grade laser.
As a result of the incident, the U.S. has sent an official diplomatic complaint to China, asking authorities there to look into these incidents.
“They are very serious incidents,” White said according to the source. “This activity poses a true threat to our airmen.”
The exact details of these incidents or the lasers used by the Chinese have of course not been released. It’s not clear whether the pilots were airborne at the time of the incident or nowhere near their plane.
The physics of modern day lasers are simpler than the one seen in science fiction movies. Currently, there are no lasers powerful enough to shoot things from the sky.
But we all know what even the tiniest of them can do to one’s eyes, and it is exactly in this manner that these lasers are being used.
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