Laser attacks on aircraft, especially helicopters, have emerged as a significant safety concern in recent years. These incidents, often instigated by individuals using handheld lasers, pose grave risks to the safety of pilots and passengers. Pilots targeted by high-energy consumer lasers can suffer from mission interruption, temporary blindness, or even flash blindness, leading to potentially dangerous flight conditions.
Most of these attacks involve high-power visible light lasers, particularly green lasers, which are most frequently used and can also emit additional radiation in the infrared spectrum. While general aviation primarily contends with visible light laser attacks, military aviation faces the added threat of infrared lasers. Although less common, infrared lasers represent a severe risk due to their high power and low detectability, which can result in catastrophic outcomes.