U.S. destroyer's missile malfunctions, explodes on ship

The USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) was damaged after a missile exploded shortly following its launch, during an exercise at the US Atlantic coast. The Navy guided missile destroyer ship was greatly damaged due to the unfortunate event.

MUNTINLUPA CITY, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "On July 18 at approximately 9 a.m. (EDT) a Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) test missile exploded after suffering a malfunction as it was fired from the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) during a planned missile exercise off the coast of Virginia," according to a statement from the Naval Sea Systems Command as provided to the USNI News.

No injuries were reported during the incident, although the ship has been damaged and suffered a small fire at its port side. Missile debris struck the destroyer and it was later on returned to the Naval Station Norfolk Va, unassisted, according to the NAVSEA.

Whether the schedule of the destroyer will be affected remains unconfirmed. NAVSEA reports, "it is too early to determine what, if any, effect this will have on the ship's schedule."

The missile is believed to be an older version of the Raytheon Standard Missile 2 Block IIIA and abruptly exploded just a few seconds after take-off. The surrounding ocean was also lit on fire during the incident. The explosion was located lower than the mast of the USS destroyer, The Sullivans.

Authorities of the Naval Seas Systems Command's program executive office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) are now investigating the cause of the incident. The malfunctioning missile remains to be under scrutiny of the NAVSEA officials, according to reports.

The SM-2 Block IIIA missile first fielded back in 1991 and was developed not only to handle traditional air threats, like fighters, but also to modify sea skimming targets and other potential threats, like cruise missiles. For safety purposes, the Navy exclusively equips solid rocket fuel for its missiles and failures or malfunctions, like the recent incident, rarely occur.

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