Ships And Aircraft From 4 Allied Navies Sink Old Frigate In RIMPAC Exercise

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego

July 16, 2022

Ships and aircraft from the United States, Australia, Canada and Malaysia sunk a decommissioned Navy frigate in a live-fire exercise during Rim of the Pacific 2022.

The decommissioned USS Rodney M. Davis was sunk July 12 in waters 15,000 feet deep, 50 nautical miles north of Kauai.

Video released by the Navy showed the frigate being hit repeatedly with rockets and bombs until it was a smoldering wreck.

“There is nothing that really replaces the training value of opportunities such as this, which enable us to test our weapons and their associated combat systems with as much realism as possible,” said Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Christopher Robinson, deputy commander of the RIMPAC task force.

“The SINKEX was a professionally enriching experience for the crew of KD Lekir,” said Adm. Mohd Reza Mohd Sany, chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy. “These events provide an excellent platform toward enhancing interoperability amongst the participating navies.”

Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. It’s the world’s largest international maritime exercise.

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