The USS Klakring, a former US Navy frigate decommissioned in 2013, is slated for the chopping block—though some have wondered why the UK is not providing the ship instead.

During the September 2022 “Atlantic Thunder” joint naval exercise, the UK’s Royal Navy and the United States Navy carried out a multi-domain sinking exercise, or SINKEX. The former Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Boone (FFG-28), decommissioned in 2012, was sent to the bottom of the Atlantic in a live-fire drill.

It was nearly a year ago that the two sea services announced plans for another SINKEX, which was originally planned to be held during the Atlantic Thunder 26 exercises this past May. The exercises were delayed at the time, and subsequently rescheduled for the upcoming September. However, the venue has not changed: the SINKEX will still take place in the waters off the QinetiQ Hebrides range in north-west Scotland, with another Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate as the “star” attraction. The former USS Klakring (FFG-42) has been confirmed as the retired warship that will serve as a target.

Formerly homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, the frigate was named for Rear Admiral Thomas B. Klakring, who earned three Navy Crosses while serving as commander of the Gato-class submarine USS Guardfish (SS-217) during World War II. The USS Klakring was built at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine, and commissioned in August 1983. It served for nearly 30 years until it was decommissioned in March 2013.

The USS Klakring Is a Small—but Still Worthy—Target

Displacing just 4,100 long tons under full load, and just 453 feet (138 m) in overall length, the former USS Klakring is a smaller target than the three other retired US Navy warships that were employed as targets earlier this summer in exercises in the Pacific Ocean.

The Valid Shield 2026 SINKEX off the Mariana Islands saw the sinking of the Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Juneau (LPD-10) in late June by a joint, multilateral force that included a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) submarine. That raised some eyebrows as it was nearly 84 years ago, when the Atlanta-class light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) was struck by torpedoes fired by the Imperial Japanese Navy I-26 in November 1942 during World War II at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

Just weeks after LPD-10’s sinking, the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA-5) and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) were sunk during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 exercises off Hawaii.

Why Aren’t the Two Navies Using a Retired UK Warship?

The United States Navy has no shortage of potential warships that can be used in a SINKEX, and it clearly has experience in preparing such warships for their final purpose as floating targets, but moving the vessel across the Atlantic is still a major undertaking. The retired frigate was moved from the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) earlier this month; she was seen being towed down the Delaware River on August 12, but has yet to make the journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

It might be simpler for the British to procure one of their own retired vessels to use as a target. The Royal Navy has plenty of retired warships to choose from.

“Hulks are not something the RN is currently short of, as there is an ongoing procession of decommissioned Type 23 frigates being towed to Turkey for scrapping at regular intervals,” UK-based Navy Lookout reported this week.

It may simply be that the US has more experience in environmentally preparing the warships, ensuring that toxic materials are taken out prior to the sinking. Of course, the usefulness of these preparations is debatable, given that a variety of highly toxic weapons are used to send the vessels to the bottom of the ocean.

Drones Might Participate in the Upcoming SINKEX

Details also haven’t been confirmed regarding what warships will take part in the upcoming Atlantic Thunder exercises, but Navy Lookout added that it could include the Sea Venom lightweight anti-ship missile designed to destroy fast attack craft, as well as warships that can operate in littoral waters.

“AT26 may provide an opportunity for a Wildcat helicopter to conduct the RN’s first live firing,” the news site explained.

The location of the Atlantic Thunder exercises would certainly support such a conclusion.

There was prior speculation that the drills could also see the use of sea-based drones. It is unclear if this will take place—but even if combat drones are not used against the ship, undersea drones are likely to examine the wreck to gain insight into the effectiveness of the weapons used in the SINKEX.

“AT26 is not simply a demonstration but a development exercise for emerging technologies,” Navy Lookout continued.

Sinking a ship because it looks cool is not the purpose of the exercise. Instead, it is to understand how the weapons performed in the SINKEX under real-world conditions. For this, evidence about those weapons’ effectiveness is needed—and if it cannot be gathered by humans, drones are the only realistic alternative.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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