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Photo by Australian Defence Force/Royal Australian Navy Leading Seaman Daniel Goodman
- Last month, two retired US Navy vessels were intentionally sunk in live-fire drills near Hawaii.
- Sinking exercises are designed to enhance and evaluate tactical skills against surface fleet threats.
- This article discusses the various munitions employed by US and allied forces to neutralize ex-warships Tarawa and Dubuque.
The United States and its allies engaged in a targeted sinking exercise last month, destroying two decommissioned naval vessels in the Pacific Ocean as part of their strategy to showcase capabilities against potential maritime threats.
The ex-USS Tarawa, an amphibious assault ship that set operational benchmarks as the first in its category, along with ex-USS Dubuque, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, served as mock adversaries during these pivotal exercises known colloquially as “SINKEXs.”
This action was part of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), recognized globally as one of the largest combined maritime military drills held every two years around Hawaii.
This year’s RIMPAC saw participation from over 25,000 service members across 29 nations from late June through early August. The exercise featured three submarines, 40 surface ships, 14 national land forces units, and upwards of 150 aircraft aimed at honing naval strategies within a controlled combat scenario.
Military personnel from countries including Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, and the Netherlands contributed to SINKEXs last month. They unleashed diverse weaponry sourced from land-based platforms as well as air and sea assets against both decommissioned vessels.
Photo by Australian Defence Force/Royal Australian Navy Leading Seaman Daniel Goodman
