The US Navy announced on 29/9 that the exercise took place last week, approximately 275 km west of Scotland's Outer Hebrides archipelago. Part of the Atlantic Thunder 2026 exercise, it involved forces from both the US and the UK.

During the exercise, the decommissioned frigate USS Klakring acted as a simulated enemy warship. It was struck by a missile from the destroyer USS Paul Ignatius and a torpedo from the attack submarine USS Massachusetts. The UK Royal Navy also tested anti-ship weapons in the exercise but did not disclose the types or results of their strikes.

Frigate USS Klakring hit by anti-ship missile, torpedo in 21/9 exercise. Video: US Navy, Royal Navy

The US Navy stated that the USS Klakring underwent a rigorous cleaning process. Old equipment was removed, and pollutants were eliminated to ensure minimal environmental impact.

"Sinking older warships, which are carefully prepared as target vessels, provides a practical method for conducting large-scale exercises with high training standards," a US Navy spokesperson said.

The USS Klakring is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, launched by the US in 1982. While the US military has decommissioned all Oliver Hazard Perry-class warships, some navies worldwide continue to operate this type of vessel.

The USS Klakring had a displacement of 4,100 tons, was 138 m long, had a maximum speed of 54 km/h, and a range of approximately 9,300 km. Its armament included a 76 mm oto melara naval gun, two 324 mm torpedo tubes, a phalanx close-in weapon system, four 12,7 mm machine guns, a harpoon anti-ship missile launcher, and sm-1mr anti-air missiles.

By Nguyen Tien (AP, BBC, Reuters)