Rimpac 2023: Americans sink decommissioned warships in live-fire drills
One of the methods to test the effectiveness of anti-ship weapons is to use them against real warships. During this year's RIMPAC exercises, the Americans sank two of their own decommissioned large ships – USS Dubuque and USS Tarawa.
RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific) is a large international maritime exercise in the Pacific, organized by the United States since 1971. This year, for the exercises planned from June 26 to August 1, the Americans invited as many as 29 other countries.
The manoeuvres involve 40 ships, 150 aircraft, and more than 25,000 soldiers from around the world. One part of the manoeuvres includes SINKEX exercises, in which real weapons are used to attack real—although decommissioned—warships.
This year's exercises saw the use of new LRASM anti-ship missiles, and maritime targets were attacked by, among other things, F/A-18F Super Hornet carrier-based aircraft and B-2 Spirit strategic bombers.
Two decommissioned ships—USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and USS Tarawa (LHA 1)—were used as targets. Before sinking, both ships were prepared according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines to minimize potential pollution in the exercise area. Removing fuel, ammunition, and flammable substances from the ships' interiors also made them harder targets to sink.
American regulations allow for the sinking of ships provided that the wreck settles at a depth of at least 1,800 metres (about 6,000 feet) and at a distance of no less than 80 kilometres (about 50 miles) from the shore.
Sunk amphibious ships
The ships sunk during the exercises were notable for their size. The USS Tarawa (Tarawa class) was a large amphibious ship with a length of 250 metres (about 820 feet) and a displacement of 39,000 tonnes. It featured a flight deck and hangar capable of handling 35 helicopters and eight vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft.
The ship could transport up to 1,800 Marine Corps soldiers along with equipment, and amphibious operations were facilitated by a well deck – hovercraft, amphibious vehicles, and various types of landing craft could directly depart from the ship's interior. Five ships of this type were built.
The USS Dubuque (Austin class) displaced 17,000 tonnes and could transport 840 Marine Corps soldiers. The ship also had a well deck and a flight deck and was equipped to handle up to six large helicopters. A total of 12 ships of this type served in the US fleet.
