Spiegel: Unknown people “fired” a German military plane with pyrotechnics

Unknown attackers fired pyrotechnics at a German C130 military transport plane shortly after takeoff. The plane was not damaged and the pilots immediately notified the control tower.

Der Spiegel writes about this, citing sources.

The incident occurred at Celle Air Base in Lower Saxony around noon on September 26. The German Armed Forces and police have since launched an investigation. Sources in the Bundeswehr said that attacks on military aircraft are very rare, but that cases of pilots being blinded by laser pointers are not uncommon.

It is currently believed that the devices were New Yearʼs fireworks. Since the incident occurred in the middle of the day, a targeted attack cannot be ruled out.

Military police and law enforcement officers immediately searched the area around the air base, but have so far found nothing. Celle police, when asked by Spiegel, said they had opened proceedings for dangerous obstruction of air traffic. The area around the air base was searched with the help of a dog, but so far nothing that could help solve the crime has been found.

Police said there was no specific threat to the plane as the firework rocket flew into the sky 500 metres from the plane. However, due to the "sensitive nature of the situation", they take such incidents seriously and will continue to investigate.

Even if the act was not an actual attack on an aircraft, the consequences for the perpetrators could be serious. German authorities consistently punish dangerous interference with air traffic. Those guilty can face a large fine or even imprisonment.

The German Air Force currently operates six C130s. Together with the much larger A400Ms, they provide the capability to deploy troops. In recent months, the aircraft have also been used to drop humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip.

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