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Missile explodes during exercise, damages USS The Sullivans
Stars and Stripes
July 23, 2015
Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS The Sullivans man the rails as the ship arrives in Naval Station Mayport in 2012. The Sullivans was damaged July 18, 2015, after a malfunctioning missile exploded during an exercise in the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy)
A malfunctioning missile exploded during an exercise in the Atlantic Ocean last week, damaging a guided-missile destroyer, a Navy statement said.
No injuries were reported, but missile debris caused minor damage to the port side of the ship.
“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,” the statement said.
Naval Sea Systems Command is investigating the incident.
The Sullivans returned to Naval Station Norfolk, and it is unclear what effect the incident will have on the destroyer’s schedule, the statement said.