The failed test of a navy vessel in Denmark’s waters has resulted in the closure of part of its air space and one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. This is due to the risk of “falling missile fragments” that could potentially harm ships passing through the Great Belt strait, which serves as the main maritime access to the Baltic Sea. The National Maritime Authority issued a warning to ships not to sail through the strait after a test on a navy vessel near the Danish coast.
The problem occurred during a mandatory test where the missile launcher was activated but could not be deactivated, posing a risk that the missile could fire and fly several kilometers away. A naval exercise was taking place in the area at the time, according to a navigational warning. The warning covered an area some 5-7 kilometers from the Great Belt bridge, which crosses over the strait. Despite this, the bridge remained open to traffic, with its operator stating that it was functioning normally.
The Danish military released a statement saying that the failure was due to a “technical” problem and that specialists were dispatched to investigate. However, until the booster is disabled there is still a risk that the missile could launch and fly several kilometers away. The incident happened during a test of Harpoon missiles, with no danger of an explosion occurring as only
