Spanish jet 'accidentally' fires missile over Estonia

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A Spanish fighter jet accidentally fired a missile during a NATO training mission in Estonia on Tuesday, prompting a search operation and an investigation by Spain into how the incident could have happened.

"A Spanish Eurofighter based in Lithuania accidentally fired a missile without causing any harm," Spain’s defense ministry said in a statement, adding that the incident happened Tuesday afternoon in an area "authorized for this type of exercise."

"The air-to-air missile has not hit any aircraft. The defense ministry has opened an investigation to clarify the exact cause of the incident," it added.

Estonian Public Broadcaster ERR said the missile carried a live warhead and had been fired near the town of Tartu in southeastern Estonia, some 50 kilometers from the Russian border.

The Estonian air force launched a search operation for the rocket on Tuesday evening, ERR added. Access to the area where it was believed to be located has been restricted, it also said.

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas speaks to the media at the 2018 NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium on July 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas deplored the “regrettable” incident in a post on Facebook but expressed relief that there were no casualties. He also called on Estonians not to look for the missile themselves and to notify the authorities if they found anything resembling it or rocket parts.

"The Estonian Defense Forces will, in cooperation with our allies… make every effort to make sure that nothing like this happens again” he added, calling for the issue to be resolved quickly.

The Spanish Eurofighter is part of NATO's (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Baltic air policing mission, according to ERR.

(With input from agencies)

(Top picture: An Italian Eurofighter Typhoon fighter (L) and Norwegian F-16 fighter patrol over the Baltics during a NATO air policing mission on May 20, 2015. /VCG Photo)

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