The Danish military temporarily closed a major shipping lane and airspace near the Great Belt strait due to a malfunction in a missile launcher onboard a ship.

The National Maritime Authority issued a warning for vessels to avoid the area due to the risk of falling missile fragments.

The incident occurred during a naval exercise, but the lane was reopened after about six hours.

The missile launcher, activated during a mandatory test, posed a risk of firing until deactivated. The missile, launched from the Niels Juel frigate, was unarmed and contained explosives but would not detonate if it crashed into the sea.

Specialists confirmed the missile was no longer a threat, the BBC reported.

This incident followed the dismissal of the chief of defence for failing to report malfunctioning weapons systems on another frigate.

The frigate had encountered a drone attack by Houthi militants while safeguarding sea traffic during a campaign in support of Palestinians.

Written by B.C. Begley