Brief
US and UK sink decommissioned USS Klakring in training exercise off Scotland
During Exercise Atlantic Thunder 2026, the USS Klakring was struck by missiles and a torpedo, leading to its sinking 6,000 feet below sea level.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A decommissioned American warship, the 138‑metre USS Klakring, was sunk during a joint US‑UK training exercise off the coast of Scotland on 23 September 2026. The vessel was hit by missiles launched from the USS Paul Ignatius and a torpedo fired by the USS Massachusetts, according to the Daily Mail.
HMS Portland also participated, firing a naval strike missile and a Wildcat helicopter launched Sea Venom missiles at the target. The exercise, called Atlantic Thunder 2026, was described by the Ministry of Defence as a multi‑domain exercise to validate surface warfare kill chains and provide realistic experience of long‑range missile strikes at sea.
The USS Klakring, decommissioned in 2013 and stored at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, was towed down the Delaware River on 12 August 2026 in preparation for the Atlantic crossing. It was initially heading to Campbeltown on Kintyre before the exercise.
After several direct hits, the ship is believed to have sunk at a depth of around 6,000 feet, roughly 170 miles (274 km) off the Outer Hebrides. The sinking took place in the North Atlantic, at least 50 nautical miles from land and in waters nearly 1,900 metres deep, in line with US environmental rules that require hazardous materials to be removed before deep‑water sinkings.
While the exercise was not intended as a public showcase, the MoD stated that it would provide an opportunity for industry to demonstrate technology to an appropriate audience.
Key facts
- USS Klakring was sunk during Exercise Atlantic Thunder 2026 (dailymail.co.uk)
- Missiles from USS Paul Ignatius and a torpedo from USS Massachusetts caused the sinking (dailymail.co.uk)
- HMS Portland fired a naval strike missile and a Wildcat helicopter launched Sea Venom missiles (dailymail.co.uk)
- USS Klakring was 138 metres long and decommissioned in 2013 (dailymail.co.uk)
- The sinking occurred about 170 miles off the Outer Hebrides at a depth of 6,000 feet (dailymail.co.uk)
Background
The exercise was part of a broader UK‑US effort to validate new surface warfare tactics and kill chains, with the Ministry of Defence describing it as a "sinkex" – a sink‑at‑sea live‑fire training exercise. The exercise also aimed to give industry exposure to new technology in a realistic operational context.
Why it matters
The sinking demonstrates the operational capability of long‑range missile and torpedo systems used by the US and UK navies, and highlights the ongoing use of decommissioned vessels for realistic training exercises.
What happens next
No further actions have been announced by the US or UK navies regarding the incident.
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Moment missiles sink old American warship during training exercise”
