Laserlike beams, possibly from pointers, have targeted U.S. military and Maritime Self-Defense Force aircraft at least 70 times during nighttime landing operations at the Atsugi air base in Kanagawa Prefecture since fiscal 2013, MSDF officials said.
The figure, released Tuesday, adds to growing evidence that lasers, which can hamper a pilot's vision, have been aimed at both military and civilian aircraft throughout Japan. While the potential for blinding pilots exists, there have been no reports of injury.
A U.S. Marine Corps official in Okinawa Prefecture has told Kyodo News that lasers appear to have been pointed at American military aircraft flying near the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. This has prompted local police to launch a probe into the incidents.
According to the MSDF, there were at least 18 incidents of lasers being aimed at aircraft at the Atsugi base in fiscal 2013, 45 cases in fiscal 2014 and 11 so far in the current fiscal year, which began in April.
MSDF P-1 and P-3C patrol aircraft as well as U.S. MH-60 helicopters and C-2 transport aircraft were among those affected.
Of the cases at Atsugi, about 10 involved SDF aircraft. In many cases, a green laser was pointed from north of the base, according to the MSDF.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told a news conference Tuesday that pointing lasers is "extremely dangerous" and could lead to "terrible disasters such as crashes."
MSDF members have also expressed concern, with one who was intentionally exposed to a laser during a training exercise noting the potential dangers.
"We could have trouble with our eyesight for about a minute due to the (light's) afterimage," he said.
Some types of lasers could also lead a pilot's loss of vision.