U.S. Ship Accidentally Hits Turk Vessel With Missiles : Military: Destroyer is struck during NATO exercise in Aegean. Initial reports indicate deaths.

The aircraft carrier Saratoga accidentally struck a Turkish destroyer with two missiles during a NATO exercise Thursday in the eastern Mediterranean, the Pentagon said. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Pentagon spokeswoman Maj. Katherine Ingram said the accident occurred about midnight local time (3 p.m. PDT).

“It was an accidental launching,” Ingram said. “Both ships were taking part in a NATO exercise called Display Determination.”

The carrier’s two Sea Sparrow missiles hit the Turkish ship, which was about three miles away from the carrier.

U.S. Navy officials were dispatched to the Turkish ship to assess the damage and injuries.

The incident occurred in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.

A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said initial reports from the scene indicated that there were deaths and injuries aboard the Turkish ship. But the official said the reports had not been confirmed.

The Sea Sparrow missile is a weapon used to defend the carrier from attack. The missiles that struck the Turkish ship are a smaller version of those that are normally deployed on the carrier.

The 1,063-foot Saratoga is a conventionally powered aircraft carrier commissioned in 1956. It was among the first class of carriers designed specifically to launch jet aircraft.

In November, 1989, the Navy ordered an unprecedented two-day suspension of normal operations after 10 accidents at sea and in the air within a 10-day period. Ten Navy personnel were killed and at least 71 injured in that series of accidents.

Exhaustive safety inspections of Navy craft were conducted during the 48-hour “stand-down.”