US and UK sink decommissioned frigate during Atlantic Thunder 2026 off Scotland

US Navy Forces Europe and Africa has released footage of the joint US-UK live-fire Atlantic Thunder 2026 exercises sinking the decommissioned ex-US Navy frigate, the USS Klakring (FFG-42). The footage was uploaded to its Facebook account.

The USS Klakring was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate commissioned into the US Navy in 1983 and decommissioned in 2013. The vessel’s sinking was the centrepiece of Atlantic Thunder 2026.

The exercise is described as a “multi-domain exercise designed to validate surface weapon kill chains, build resilient kill webs and deliver strategic messaging through kinetic demonstration.”

The purpose of the exercise is to test allied weapons, targeting networks and uncrewed systems in a realistic environment. Previous reporting suggests the Royal Navy plans to use unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to survey the wreck and assess the effectiveness of the weapons used.

The stricken warship was struck by a missile from the USS Paul Ignatius. Royal Navy surface vessels and aircraft were also involved in the sinking, although the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have not yet updated on their role.

Unclear what the Royal Navy & Royal Air Force’s roles were

As of the time of writing, the British side (and US Air Force) has not yet released statements on their role in the sinking of the USS Klakring.

While the footage only shows one US warship firing missiles, precedent would suggest many platforms from multiple services of the US and UK militaries took part.

For this sinking, the UK Defence Journal writes, “Particular interest is placed on uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) able to perform underwater battle damage assessment after the strike.”

The ship was sunk at the Royal Navy’s QinetiQ Hebrides Range off the coast of Scotland. The exercise had previously been planned for May but had been delayed for four months.

First time Britain takes part in sinking exercise since 2022

The frigate is now expected to be resting at a depth of around 6,000 feet. The last time Britain and the US sank a retired warship (mentioned above) was during an exercise in 2022.

On that occasion, the Royal Navy took part in sinking a sister ship to the USS Klakring, the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate ex-USS Boone (FFG-28).

In the past, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force both took part in sinking the ship. In the most recent sinking (2022), HMS Westminster (a Type 23 frigate) fired two RGM-84D Harpoon anti-ship missiles. This was the first British Harpoon salvo since 2004.

A Royal Navy AW159 Wildcat helicopter fired two Martlet air-to-surface missiles, marking the first live firing of the Martlet against a realistic warship target at sea.

Three RAF Typhoons dropped four Paveway IV laser-guided bombs, also marking the first time RAF Typhoons had employed live ordnance against a warship.

The US side was similar, with the USS Arleigh Burke destroyer, US Navy P-8A Poseidon, and US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles all firing munitions at the ship. An unspecified US Navy submarine is reported to have finished off the target.