German police have launched a criminal investigation into three separate incidents where unknown individuals targeted U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets with laser beams as the aircraft approached Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany.
The incidents occurred on December 2 and December 9, with two attacks happening on the first date and a third a week later. In all three cases, pilots approaching the NATO base were targeted with blue laser beams while several kilometers away from the airfield. All incidents took place between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. local time, and all pilots landed safely despite the attacks.
German police in Trier, the city south of the air base, warned that such laser attacks pose serious risks to flight safety. “Such laser attacks can cause severe impairment, temporary visual disturbances or eye injuries to pilots and therefore pose a high risk,” police said in a statement released Friday.
Master Sgt. Alex Riedel, a spokesperson for the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at Spangdahlem, said pilots are well-trained for these scenarios. “Our pilots report the laser source’s location to U.S. law enforcement and German police, with whom we are fully cooperating,” Riedel told Stars and Stripes. “Further details are pending investigation.”
Pointing lasers at aircraft is illegal in many countries, including the United States and Germany. The Federal Aviation Administration can issue fines exceeding $30,000 for laser misuse. The U.S. Air Force has stated that aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft in flight could be catastrophic for aircrew and potentially for people on the ground.
Roughly 5,000 personnel are stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, including the USAF’s 52nd Fighter Wing, which has been based there since the early 1970s. U.S. aircrew are issued eye protection against lasers, and the Air Force has upgraded this protective eyewear in recent years.
The Air Force has reported a surge in laser incidents in recent years. The FAA said pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the agency in 2024 alone.
Similar incidents involving military aircraft have occurred elsewhere. China rejected a German claim in July that one of Beijing’s warships pointed a laser at a German reconnaissance aircraft over the Red Sea. In November, the U.K. reported that a ship believed to be a Russian intelligence vessel pointed lasers at British pilots monitoring its presence near U.K. waters.
German investigators have appealed for witnesses who may have information about the incidents at Spangdahlem. The police spokesperson in Trier said Monday they had no additional information to share as the investigation continues.
