Easy for games like this to happen. You fly a P8 that is armed near a warship then both start warning each other turning weapons radars on each other and well it gets comical. No mention of how long the P8 loitered around the ship or what listening devices they dropped or exchanges of warnings. Generally the US Navy with Russia when the Russians would turn the targeting radar on the P3's would then leave.

My bet would be China for targeting with Gatling guns uses a strong laser with peripheral lower strengths to track missiles. Just 2 crafts playing they have toys they couldn't even dream up in a life time of stupid times in bars or boasting with friends. US Navy probably played turning on their anti ship radar for missiles so two Chinese guys smiled at each other and countered with their anti missile tracking.

It's generally a go play somewhere else. What's funny is it's always played in the news as guys that always act like the biggest and baddest feel hurt.

Well, we now know where we can run our advanced testing. With the defense department releasing this story, it confirms to the Chi-Coms what their and our capabilities are at the present time.

Ya'll seem to conveniently forget that Chinese outnumber Americans by around 4.5 to 1, and these guys just landed a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. They not only have all your Western technology, thanks to American corporations giving it to them, in their greed for profits - they also have electronics technology that is starting to exceed American electronics technology. History is full of defeated people who sneered at their enemys capabilities.

Ever since the US left The Philippines, China has pushed that they own that area west of the islands by building islands out of reefs (destroying marine life in the process) and militarizing them. As long as the US military forces were there, they did not push the issue and the Spratley's, that are still claimed by 7 countries, were left alone. Now, we have been pushed to just freedom of navigation cruises to ensure that any and all traffic can transit the area, but the Chinese are pushing back. Will it lead to a shooting war? Hard to say, but one day, someone with an itchy trigger finger is gonna push a button that launches something at someone else who is thought to be tresspassing.

very likely its one side of the story

A storm in a teacup. Just sabre rattling to see what they could achieve ... normal Cold War activity. Nothing to get mad about. I mean, what was a Poseidon doing there anyway if it wasn't muscle flexing?

This is not news. We do it to them, they do it to us, everyone does it to everyone. Been like that for decades. Calm down.

FYI: My security software blocked this site as "threat detected". Be forewarned.

PEW PEW PEW!

Were there any communications one way or the other before this occurred? I think that might be an important point. How was the "weapons grade" comment justified? It obviously wasn't being used as a weapon, was it? If someone points a stick at me, it's unclear whether it's weapons grade until I'm poked with it, no?

a tiny slap or sting has been earned by the chinese military, something that is going to leave a bruise

I think a Bernie Sanders presidency is much more worrisome than this incident.

Já é sábado e nenhum militar resolvel

This is what a South Korean warship did to a Japanese Self Defense Air-force P-1 patrol aircraft even though the country is believed as an allied country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9H9MY77TnE (No English subtitles unfortunately.)

Yeah the world's provocateur is fired upon. Our prestige has been replaced by the "never ending war on terror". Fu@%ing pathetic state of affairs, we're in.

The article does not directly say a weapon grade laser was used. Even if it does, a 100kW laser, having a divergence of 0.5 mRad, 200mm aperture, over a distance of 8000 meters, the power reaching the target would be <7 milliwatt/mm. That's not a lot?

An act of war is now merely unsafe and unprofessional? Where did all the backbones go?

Time to refuel the "Enola Gay"

Should have dropped a kinetic on the ship! They would not have know what him. Oops! Where’d they go? Where’d who go?

They should have shot a missile near the tin can destroyer!! the Commies are Very Loud and need a shakedown once and for all.

And what did Trump do about it ????