#sm-2

USS Arleigh Burke successfully launches three SM-2 Standard Missile

We have a problem....

The United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) was damaged in mid-July (2015) after a test missile exploded shortly after launch....during a routine training exercise off the U.S. Atlantic coast.

None of the nearly 300 crew was injured....but the missile accident, and a small fire started by the explosion, caused the ship to return to its homeport of Mayport, FL (near Jacksonville) for accident evaluation and damage repair.

A medium-range Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) test missile exploded after suffering a malfunction as it was fired from the guided-missile destroyer. The SM-2 is not a new system, and it’s firing was for normal training and equipment testing purposes.

               USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) during normal operations

Of course, several Navy support and technical commands are investigating the cause of the missile explosion. Malfunctions of solid-fuel missiles in the U.S. Navy are extremely rare.

During my U.S. Navy career, I was directly involved in the firing of dozens of such missiles....and all the weapons, supporting systems and personnel involved performed flawlessly.

Wishing the crew of USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) all the best as they recover from what must have been a harrowing experience. I’m sure they will emerge from this the best-trained destroyer crew in the Fleet!