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USS Klakring sunk in joint US-UK Atlantic Thunder exercise off Scotland
The USS Klakring, a decommissioned US Navy frigate, was sunk on 27–28 September 2026 during the joint Atlantic Thunder 2026 exercise off Scotland's Hebrides. The USS Paul Ignatius launched the missile that destroyed the ship, with Royal Navy vessels and aircraft also participating in the coordinated multi-domain operation.
Quick Facts
- Decommissioned frigate USS Klakring struck by missile and sunk
- Joint US-UK live-fire military exercise (Atlantic Thunder 2026)
- Multi-domain operation to validate surface weapon kill chains
- Kinetic demonstration involving multiple warships and aircraft
- Battle damage assessment and seabed survey by unmanned underwater vehicles planned
The USS Klakring, a decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, was sunk on 27–28 September 2026 during the Atlantic Thunder 2026 exercise off the Hebrides in Scotland. The frigate was struck by a missile launched by the USS Paul Ignatius, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, as part of a coordinated multinational operation involving Royal Navy surface vessels and aircraft. Video released by US Naval Forces showed the ship being completely destroyed in the strike.
The exercise took place at the Ministry of Defence's Hebrides range and was officially 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 planned sinking of the Klakring served as the centrepiece of the operation. The exercise had originally been scheduled for May 2026 but was delayed until September.
The USS Klakring was decommissioned in 2013 and had been stored at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility. She was towed down the Delaware River on 12 August 2026, making first for Campbeltown, Scotland, where hazardous materials were removed before the vessel proceeded to the exercise area. The ship is expected to settle at approximately 6,000 feet depth, where unmanned underwater vehicles will conduct battle damage assessment and seabed survey work.
The USS Paul Ignatius, commissioned in July 2019 and named after a former Secretary of the Navy, is forward-deployed to Naval Station Rota in southern Spain. The destroyer has served as a ballistic missile defence asset and broader platform for operations across the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean since June 2022.
This exercise follows a similar operation in September 2022, when the former USS Boone was sunk during Atlantic Thunder 22 at the same Hebrides range. That exercise involved HMS Diamond, USS Arleigh Burke, RAF Typhoons, and US Navy P-8 Poseidons, and was described at the time as the most complex multinational sinking exercise staged in UK waters.
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Why This Matters
The sinking of USS Klakring represents a scheduled demonstration of integrated US-UK surface warfare capability and multi-domain coordination in the eastern Atlantic. The exercise validates operational doctrine for anti-surface missile strikes, inter-service command chains, and battle damage assessment procedures. The operation follows established protocols for decommissioned ship disposal and generates live-fire data for NATO navies operating in European waters; no independent nations were targeted or threatened by the exercise.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2013
WireUSS Klakring decommissioned
Aug 12, 2026
WireUSS Klakring towed down Delaware River en route to Scotland
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