Spanish Air Force Eurofighter accidentally fired AIM-120 AMRAAM over Estonia

Date:

Even if the AIM-120 has a built-in self-destruction mode, it is possible that it did not exploded and debris of the 3.7 meters long weapon crashed on the ground

On Aug. 7, 2018, at 15:44 local time a Spanish Air Force Eurofighter flying over Pangodi during the incident, some 40 kilometers north of Tartu, in south Estonia accidentally fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile.

The Estonian Ministry of Defense said the missile was supposed to self-destruct in such a situation but it does not rule out that the missile might have hit the ground.

In fact, even if the missile has a built-in self-destruction mode, it is possible that it did not explode and debris of the 3.7 meters long weapon crashed on the ground. Military personnel is in search of debris locations.

The Spanish Typhoon, supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, landed safely at its base in Šiauliai in Lithuania.

The AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile) missile is a versatile and proven weapon with operational flexibility in a wide variety of scenarios.

The weapon’s advanced active guidance section provides aircrew with a high degree of combat flexibility and lethality.

Procured by 37 countries, the combat-proven AMRAAM missile has been integrated onto the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-22, Typhoon, Gripen, Tornado, and Harrier. The AIM-120C5 and AIM-120C7 missiles are fully integrated onto the F-35 and support the U.S. Marine Corp’s F-35B initial operational capability as the only air-to-air missile qualified on the F-35.

Photo by Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK (Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon ‘C.16-48 / 14-12’) via Wikipedia

Till Daisd
Till Daisdhttps://www.aviation-wings.com
Till is an aviation enthusiast blogger who has been writing since 2013. He started out writing about personal readings since expanded his blog to include information and stories about all aspects of aviation. Till's blog is a go-to source for anyone interested in learning more about aviation, whether you're a pilot or just a curious onlooker.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here


Share post:

Popular

More like this
Related

When a Valkyrie crashed after an F-104 chase plane collided with its vertical stabilizer

The XB-70 Valkyrie The advanced XB-70 Valkyrie was initially created...

The SR-71 crew members on a moonless, clear night could see 3.5 trillion more stars at 80,000 feet than you can on the ground

The Blackbird The SR-71, which earned its unofficial nickname "Blackbird,"...

When Kris Kristofferson stole a US Army helicopter and landed it in Johnny Cash’s yard

Kris Kristofferson Kris Kristofferson's extraordinary life stands as a singular...

The mock dogfight where a Phantom II fought alone against 4 hungry A-7 Corsair IIs and got waxed

Roger Ball! He was the second of two children and...