NATO aircraft mistakenly fired missiles near the Estonia-Russia border.
Estonia has temporarily banned Spanish aircraft from participating in air patrol missions following the accidental missile strike.
Spanish fighter jets participating in NATO's air patrol mission over Estonia have been temporarily grounded after one of the pilots mistakenly fired a missile near the Russian border during a training flight.
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| A Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon 2000 aircraft. Photo: Reuters. |
RT, citing a statement from the Spanish Ministry of Defence, reported that a group of two Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon 2000s and two French Mirage 2000s participated in training exercises southwest of Estonia on August 7th. During the exercise, one of the Spanish aircraft inadvertently fired an air-to-air missile, but the missile did not hit any airborne targets.
All of these aircraft subsequently returned safely to the Saiuliai air base in Lithuania. The Spanish Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, Estonian authorities have decided to temporarily ban Spanish aircraft from participating in air patrol missions in the country's airspace.
"I have requested a halt to all military flights by Spanish aircraft until the situation is resolved. NATO operations continue. The most important thing is to ensure safety and clarify what happened," Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik was quoted as saying by Estonian state television channel ERR.
Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas also called the incident "horrific" and "regrettable," but affirmed that NATO's mission is "very important and necessary to ensure Estonia's security."
According to ERR, Portuguese Air Force aircraft will replace Spain in NATO operations in Estonia.
Estonian media outlets reported that the missile that was mistakenly shot down was an AMRAAM. This is an air-to-air missile with a range of 100km and capable of carrying a 10kg explosive warhead. Calculations suggest the missile should have landed approximately 40km north of the Estonian city of Tartu. The Estonian Air Force launched a search for the missile on the evening of August 7th.
Authorities also urged local residents to be vigilant and notify the military or emergency services if they find missiles or missile debris.
