Incredible images of missile exploding over USS The Sullivans right after launch

Missile launch gone wrong.

On Jul. 18, U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS The Sullivans was damaged after an old Raytheon Standard Missile 2 Block IIIA guided missile exploded shortly after launch off the U.S. Atlantic coast., exploded shortly after takeoff.

As a consequence of the explosion, the warship was showered with debris that sparked fire on the port side of the destroyer.

According to the report published by USNI News, that obtained the pictures of the explosion, The Sullivans was involved in a missile exercise along with the guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) which was not damaged during the incident.

Missile exploding over USS The Sullivans 2

There were no reported injuries.

“The SM-2 Block IIIA, first fielded in 1991, was developed to not only handle traditional air threats like fighters but was modified to interdict sea skimming targets like cruise missiles. […] While the Navy didn’t comment on why the missile failed, the photos point to a problem with the rocket engines that drove the SM-2,” USNI Editor Sam Lagrone explained in his post.

Image credit: U.S. Navy via USNI News.

 

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.