World News – GB – Apache helicopter mistakenly fires bullet at Suffolk military base

A major investigation was launched after a British Army helicopter missed the shot while on the ground The Apache helicopter was reportedly immobilized at the Wattisham flight station after being experienced a malfunction during a training exercise Before it could be repaired, the rotorcraft fired a bullet on Wednesday November 4th The unplanned dumping took place near houses and farms in Suffolk However, there were no reports of injuries or damage An investigation into the ‘incident is in progress

The Apache helicopter was engaged in a live-fire exercise, named Gray Eagle, when the initial malfunction occurred Helicopter failed to fire while training on Sculthorpe Following the malfunction, the pilots decided to disembark the craft and report the problem They landed in the Sculthorpe range in Norfolk After disarming at the firing range , the helicopter was transported to Wattisham base in Suffolk

Earlier this week, the helicopter was undergoing repairs at Wattisham Flying Station after being kept there overnight The apache can be armed with a 30mm autocannon, wing-mounted 70mm rockets and Hellfire missiles.It managed to fire a bullet from the 30mm autocannon while staying on the ground

According to Sky News, the discharge occurred as the helicopter was pulled out of the hangar Weapons technicians specialists in the Sun were working on the craft when the bullet was fired Sources say soldiers at the base have had to take cover when the gun discharged with a loud explosion

Since the incident, an investigation has been initiated to determine how the helicopter missed and why it was still armed A search team also combed the fields near the base to try and recover the ammunition fired by the cannon Friday 6 November, the ball was still missing

A source pointed out that the bullet fired was a training round Even though training cartridges are less lethal than armor-piercing cartridges, they can still cause significant damage on impact The search for the bullet and the investigation of the incident continue

Boeing AH-64 Apache, helicopter, attack helicopter, Suffolk, Wattisham airfield