The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer Hohhot fired a weapons-grade laser at a US P-8A reconnaissance aircraft in the Philippine Sea last month, Pacific Fleet said on Thursday.
In response, the Navy issued a warning on Instagram: “You don’t want to play laser tag with us.”
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told USNI News on Monday that the US government had issued a formal protest in response to the incident.
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The US Navy warned China on social media after one of the Asian nation’s warships fired a military-grade laser at a US aircraft, telling them: “You don’t want to play laser tag with us.”
US Pacific Fleet said in a statement on Thursday that the Chinese Type 052D Luyang III-class destroyer Hohhot (hull number 161) fired a weapons-grade laser, apparently part of the ship’s close-in weapon system, at a US Navy P-8A reconnaissance aircraft.

“The laser, which was not visible to the naked eye, was captured by a sensor onboard the P-8A,” Pacific Fleet said. “Weapons-grade lasers could potentially cause serious harm to aircrew and mariners, as well as ship and aircraft systems.”
After the statement went out, the US Navy issued a warning on its official Instagram account.