Whups!! Object lesson delivered.

[Sailor]

Destroyer USS The Sullivans Damaged After Missile Explodes After Launch, No Injuries Reported

A Navy guided missile destroyer was damaged after a missile exploded shortly after launch during an exercise off the U.S. Atlantic coast on Saturday, Navy officials have confirmed to USNI News.

“On July 18 at approximately 9 a.m. (EDT) a Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) test missile exploded after suffering a malfunction as it was fired from the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) during a planned missile exercise off the coast of Virginia,” read a statement from Naval Sea Systems Command provided to USNI News.

There were no reported injuries and though the ship suffered a small fire on its port side “from missile debris” the destroyer was able to return to Naval Station Norfolk, Va. unassisted, NAVSEA said.

More with photos:
news.usni.org/2015/07/22/destroyer-uss-the-sullivans-damaged-after-missile-explodes-after-launch-no-injuries-reported

Usually missile launches are conducted with the ship at General Quarters (Battle Stations to you land-lubbers) and if those guys are anything like we were they were probably grumbling about the requirement ... until that missile delivered the object lesson I mentioned.

[dustdevil28]

I'll bet that day got real interesting, real quick. Thank God no one got hurt.

-DD

[Sailor]

The ghosts of the five Sullivan brothers were hard at work that day. My GQ station in my first ship was Damage Control Central, when you're doing weapon shooting shit you hope nothing goes wrong but ...

I think things could have gotten LOTS more interesting if that flaming debris had landed 40 feet forward and on the centerline where 8 Harpoon Missiles are stowed in launching racks on deck. Those things are protected from the weather but are not armored.

That ship got lucky in more ways than one.