Estonian Servicemen Say Halted Active Searches For Missile Misfired By Spanish Fighter Jet

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published August 17, 2018 | 09:56 PM

The Estonian servicemen have terminated the active searches for a missile mistakenly launched by a Spanish fighter jet earlier in August, Col. Riivo Valge, the commander of the Estonian Air Force, said on Friday.

TALLINN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) The Estonian servicemen have terminated the active searches for a missile mistakenly launched by a Spanish fighter jet earlier in August, Col. Riivo Valge, the commander of the Estonian Air Force, said on Friday.

On August 7, a Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 fighter jet belonging to the Spanish Air Force mistakenly fired a missile while flying over Estonia's south. The missile traveled approximately 80 kilometers (49 miles) after which it allegedly fell in a deserted area not far from the Endla Nature Reserve in central Estonia. The Estonian servicemen have not managed to find neither missile nor its fragments during careful searches in the area.

"All the sites, where the missile might have landed, have been carefully searched. During two-week searches we have used three helicopters and five ground patrols. Drones and mine clearance specialists from the emergency department have also taken part in the searches.

Despite the regular searches, the missile's impact site has not been identified ... The active searches have been terminated," Valge said.

The Estonian Air Force commander added that if some new information is received, the searches might be continued.

He also said that the Estonian military was unaware of what exactly happened to the missile.

"The missile could have exploded in the air or after crashing into the ground. It could also have exploded underground. We cannot rule out that the missile hit the ground without causing detonation of the explosive contained inside," Valge said.

The Spanish plane, which accidentally launched the missile, was participating in NATO's rotating Baltic Air Policing Mission, which aims to ensure the security of Baltic airspace.