Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon accidentally fires missile in Estonia

A Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet accidentally launches an air-to-air missile in the Estonian air space

The incident occurred on 7 August at 3:44 PM EEDT near the town of Otepää in a temporarily segregated area. The missile’s direction was North and its exact trajectory, location and fate is still unknown.

According to the Estonian Defence Forces, the missile was equipped with a self-destruction mode that should activate when it’s launched by an accident, but it cannot be ruled out that the missile landed on the ground. The AMRAAM type missile is 3.7 metres (12.1 feet) long, with a diameter of 18 cm (7’’) and it carries explosives. The last presumed location of the missile was 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the Estonian town of Tartu.

The defence forces have launched a search mission, using helicopters.

If anyone encounters objects that may be parts of the missile or the missile itself, the defence forces ask the public not to touch it, but retreat and immediately call the air force at +372 717 1900 or the emergency line 112. The defence forces also ask the public not to go searching for the missile.

The Spanish fighter that accidentally launched the missile, an Eurofighter Typhoon 2000, returned to its home base in the Lithuanian town of Šiauliai. The defence forces have launched an investigation into the launch.

Source: estonianworld