Dramatic moment 'ship buster' missiles sink old American warship creating huge fireball during training exercise off Scotland

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 08:07 EDT, 29 September 2026 | Updated: 08:17 EDT, 29 September 2026 A decommissioned American warship has been sunk in a joint US-UK training exercise off the coast of Scotland. The 138-metre-long USS Klakring was hit by missiles from the USS Paul Ignatius and a torpedo from the USS Massachusetts as part of Exercise Atlantic Thunder 2026.The sinking was carried out by US and UK armed forces as part of Atlantic Thunder 2026, a joint live-firing exercise. HMS Portland was also involved, along with air-to-surface assistance from a Wildcat helicopter. HMS Portland fired a naval strike missile, an advanced warhead that can travel close to supersonic speeds and strike targets more than 100 miles away, evading detection by skimming the sea. The ship's Wildcat helicopter fired Sea Venom missiles at the target.The Royal Navy also tested 'ship-busting' weapons during the exercise. After taking several direct hits, the vessel is believed to have sunk around 6,000 feet to the seabed in the North Atlantic about 170 miles (274km) off the Outer Hebrides last Monday. The US warship was decommissioned in 2013 and had been stored at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility.It was towed down the Delaware River on August 12 in preparation for the Atlantic crossing, heading initially to Campbeltown on Kintyre. The 138-metre-long USS Klakring was hit by missiles from the USS Paul Ignatius and a torpedo from USS Massachusetts as part of Exercise Atlantic Thunder 2026 The sinking was carried out by US and UK armed forces as part of Atlantic Thunder 2026, a joint live-firing exercise After taking several direct hits, the vessel is believed to have sunk around 6,000 feet to the seabed in the North Atlantic about 170 miles (274km) off the Outer HebridesThe Ministry of Defence last year invited industry to take part in Atlantic Thunder 26 (AT26) at the QinetiQ Hebrides range based in the Uists.That document described the exercise as 'a US-UK multi-domain exercise designed to validate Surface Warfare kill chains, build resilient kill webs and deliver strategic messaging through kinetic demonstration that will take place off the coast of the Hebrides in Scotland'.Labelled a 'sinkex' - short for 'sink at-sea live-fire training exercise' - the aim is to assess new tactics and give real-world experience of long-range missile strikes at sea.Under US environmental rules, deep-water sinking requires environmentally hazardous materials to be removed beforehand.In addition, all sinkings are conducted at least 50 nautical miles from land and in water depths of nearly 1,900 metres or more.The MoD was explicit that this is not a showcase. The document stated: 'Whilst AT26 presents opportunities to showcase technology, and for Industry contributions to be highlighted during the exercise to an appropriate audience, it must be understood that this is a development exercise. 'The focus will be on accelerating capability delivery by addressing the capability blockers listed.' The US warship was decommissioned in 2013 and had been stored at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance FacilityLieutenant Commander Louise Kirkaldy, HMS Portland's principal warfare officer, said: 'The successful firing of NSM marks a significant milestone for the Royal Navy, demonstrating our ability to deliver credible, modern maritime strike capability.'Commander Dafydd Bryden, Commanding Officer of HMS Portland added: 'The opportunity to fire anti-ship missiles against a decommissioned warship is an important test of our warfighting capability. 'This engagement proved the effectiveness of these systems as well as the sailors and aircrew who operate them. We remain ready to fight and win at sea.'Lieutenant Commander Paul Atkins, UK Lead Project Officer for Atlantic Thunder said: 'Atlantic Thunder 26 demonstrated the enduring strength of the UK-US alliance and the close partnership between the Royal Navy and the United States Navy.'Operating together in a demanding environment, we showcased our ability to integrate seamlessly, share expertise and deliver a highly capable, interoperable maritime force.'