This year’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises are currently underway, with more than two dozen nations participating and still more eavesdropping from nearby. The training cycle has included participation from 45 surface ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 members of some 26 national militaries — but the real spectacle of the event took place on July 12, when elements from Australia, the United States, and Japan participated in the sinking of the USS Racine, a long decommissioned Newport class Landing Ship.
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The sinking of the ship was conducted using missiles and torpedoes fired from both naval and ground-based weapons systems. Watch Video:
It’s a HIT! ?
Live fire from aircraft, a submarine, and land assets have sunk the decommissioned the Tank Landing Ship, ex-USS Racine, during the Sinking Exercise, or SINKEX.#RIMPAC #RIMPAC2018 #CapableAdaptivePartners pic.twitter.com/6cMhxG0GXN
— RIMPAC (@RimofthePacific) July 16, 2018
A Japanese P-3 Orion search aircraft ‘acquired’ the target. But it was ‘jammed’ and unable to complete its report. So a US Army Gray Eagle unmanned drone flew off under the direction of an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter to verify the sighting.
These then relayed targeting data to the paired US and Japanese missile trucks — and an Australian P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The Australian Poseidon reportedly fired a Harpoon missile. Australian warships were among those nearby, acting in support. Then the attack submarine USS Olympia fired a Harpoon missile and an Mk-48 torpedo to finish the job.
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