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'Ship buster' missiles sink old US warship in live fire training off Scotland

The decommissioned USS Klakring was sunk at the Ministry of Defence's Hebrides range

A decommissioned American warship has been sunk off Scotland's west coast during a training exercise involving both US forces and the Royal Navy.

USS Klakring was hit by missiles and a torpedo before sinking in the North Atlantic about 170 miles (274km) off the Outer Hebrides last Monday.

The US Navy said the ship went a through "rigorous" cleaning process first, and personnel checked for the presence of whales and dolphins before the live-firing exercise started.

Other warships, including an aircraft carrier in 2006, have been deliberately sunk at sea by the US as part of training and to create artificial reefs for marine life.

US Naval Forces Europe-Africa Orange flames and smokes erupts from an explosion on USS Klakring. Part of the grey warship is visible on the surface of a dark blue sea.US Naval Forces Europe-Africa
A 43-year-old frigate was used for target practice

The former guided missile frigate was struck by a missile from USS Paul Ignatius and a torpedo from USS Massachusetts as part of Exercise Atlantic Thunder 2026.

The UK's Royal Navy also tested "ship-busting" weapons during the exercise.

HMS Portland, a Type 23 frigate, fired a Naval Sea Missile (NSM) - an advanced sea skimming weapon that can travel close to supersonic speeds and hit a target more than100 miles away.

The ship's Wildcat helicopter also fired Sea Venom missiles at the target.

The Royal Navy said it was the first live firing of the weapons from a Wildcat helicopter at a realistic target.

USS Klakring entered service in 1983 and was decommissioned in 2013.

It was named after Rear Adm Thomas B Klakring, who was awarded three US Navy Crosses as the commander of a submarine during World War Two.

US Naval Forces Europe-Africa Orange flames and smokes erupts from an explosion on USS Klakring. Part of the grey warship is visible on the surface of a dark blue sea.US Naval Forces Europe-Africa
USS Klakring was hit by a missile and torpedo during Exercise Atlantic Thunder

The US Navy said sinking exercises were prepared in strict compliance with environmental regulations.

A spokesperson said: "The extensive preparations for the exercise include putting the hulk through a rigorous cleaning process to remove contaminants and old equipment, thereby assuring that the environmental impact of the exercise is minimal.

"Sinking ex-navy vessels, which are specially prepared as targets, provides a practicable method for conducting large scale exercises of this type, to train at the high level required by the armed forces."