Spanish fighter jet accidentally fires missile in Estonia

HELSINKI — Estonia’s military says it is looking for the remains of a missile that a Spanish fighter jet accidentally fired while drilling in the air space of the Baltic country and NATO ally.

The military said that the Eurofighter Typhoon from the Spanish Air Force — part of NATO's Baltic air-policing mission — erroneously launched an AMRAAM-type air-to-air missile in a practice area in southern Estonia Tuesday afternoon.

US-led NATO exercise starts in Baltics, Poland

A major U.S.-led military exercise with 18,000 soldiers from 19 primarily NATO countries has kicked off in the alliance’s eastern flank involving Poland and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.

The missile carried explosives of up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and was last located around 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of Estonia's second city of Tartu. It has a built-in self-destruct for such accidents, but may have landed on the ground.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said on Facebook “thank God no human casualties,” calling the incident “extremely regrettable.”

Can Russia easily take the Baltics? Not likely, says US general

Tags:

Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon Estonia NATO Spanish fighter jet accidentally fired a missile NATO drill Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas

In Other News

West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare operators transit near San Clemente Island, Calif., May 3, 2023.

Navy contractor jet was on fire before California crash, report says

Federal investigators say a Navy contractor’s aircraft caught fire before it crashed off the California coast earlier this month.

In this Dec. 17, 2019, file photo provided by Xinhua News Agency, the Shandong aircraft carrier is docked at a naval port in Sanya in southern China's Hainan Province.

Taiwan says Chinese warships pass through Taiwan Strait

Taiwan's defense ministry said it detected three ships from the Chinese navy, including the Shandong aircraft carrier, passing through the Taiwan Strait.

Kamala Harris welcomes West Point graduates to ‘unsettled world’

“The world has drastically changed,” the vice president told the roughly 950 graduating cadets of the U.S. Military Academy.

1st Lt. Doyle M. Hufstedler in Hannahiyah, Iraq, January 2004.

Opinion

‘Snapshot of their memories:’ Gold Star widow reflects on Memorial Day

Army 1st Lt. Doyle M. Hufstedler was killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in 2004. He was 25.

Opinion

Memorial Day is for those we’ve lost, on the battlefield and at home

Suicide has become an epidemic in the veteran community. But it is a problem we can strive to solve, by connecting with each other.

‘Ghosts of Beirut’ spotlights decades-long CIA hunt for terror leader

The 25-year manhunt launched in the wake of the 1983 Beirut bombings form the basis of the four-part Showtime series “Ghosts of Beirut."

Advice from a Marine who smashed 3 kettlebell-swing world records

Sgt. Maj. Steven Burkett has even swung some kettlebells with then-Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.

Military prepares for disaster relief on Guam after massive typhoon

Airmen at Andersen AFB are working to reopen runways, while other military units are preparing to assist Guam residents.

Defense secretary tells Naval Academy graduates they’re ready to serve

“Class of 2023, wherever your career takes you, remind the world of what you stand for," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Remains of Korean War Medal of Honor recipient to be laid to rest

The remains of a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient who gave his life so his fellow soldiers could survive will finally return home.