U.S. Navy and Royal Navy to Conduct Live-Fire Sinking Exercise in North Atlantic
The U.S. Navy and Royal Navy are preparing for 'Atlantic Thunder 26' (AT26), a live-fire exercise scheduled for September in the North Atlantic. The centerpiece of this exercise will be a SINKEX (sinking exercise), where the decommissioned Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, USS Klakring, will be sunk by coordinated attacks from British and American air and naval forces. The exercise, originally planned for May but delayed by four months, aims to test allied weapons, targeting networks, and uncrewed systems in a demanding live environment. USS Klakring, decommissioned in 2013, was towed from Philadelphia to prepare for its transatlantic journey to the exercise area off the QinetiQ Hebrides range in north-west Scotland. Environmental regulations require the removal of hazardous materials from vessels before deliberate sinking. 
