The U.S. Navy is searching for two containers of missiles that fell off of a helicopter into the Pacific Ocean, officials reported.
An MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 on June 17 was on the way to the assault ship Essex when two containers carrying five Navy RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles fell out of the aircraft and into the sea below.
The Navy stated that the containers fell out due to a “rigging failure,” dropping out somewhere near the southern California coast.
Navy spokesperson Brian O’Rourke told San Diego news source KNSD that the missiles are missing parts and it is very unlikely that they will detonate underwater.
The Navy also released a statement that read, according to KNSD: “The U.S. Navy has not placed any time constraints on the effort to locate the missing ordnance. We remain committed to leveraging all resources, including collaborating with local agencies, to locate and recover the missiles.”
