Missile explodes on launch pad, German warship catches fire

The German Navy confirmed yesterday that the state-of-the-art frigate Sachsen had an accident while firing an SM-2 anti-aircraft missile during an exercise in the North Sea. The missile exploded shortly after leaving the launch pad, causing a fire on the ship's deck and damaging the superstructure in front of the command post.Xinhuareport

“We were faced with a wall of hot fire,” the captain of the Sachsen recalled. The report after the incident said the SM-2 missile showed no signs of damage before launch. The ship has since gone to the Norwegian port of Harstad for repairs and an investigation into the cause of the incident. Two sailors with minor injuries have been treated.

Sachsen is the first ship in a class of advanced air defense frigates developed by Germany, which uses a variety of stealth technologies to hide from enemy radar. Each ship is equipped with the SMART-L surveillance radar and APAR fire control system, allowing it to detect and intercept a wide range of targets, including stealth aircraft and cruise missiles.

Although designated as a missile frigate, the Sachsen class possesses firepower that is not inferior to destroyers of the US and its allies. The main weapon of the Sachsen is 24 SM-2 Block IIIA long-range air defense missiles, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 160 km. In addition, there are 32 RIM-162 ESSM missiles with a range of 50 km.