US Navy warship hit by missile and sunk off coast of Scotland during exercise

A US Navy warship has been hit by a missile and sunk off the coast of Scotland during a planned exercise.

The USS Klakring was struck by a missile from the USS Paul Ignatius as part of a joint military operation with UK and US forces at the Ministry of Defence’s Hebrides range.

A video posted by the US Naval Forces on social media showed the exercise during Atlantic Thunder 2026.

The ship, which was decommissioned in 2013, was completely torn apart by a missile before sinking.

The exercise involved the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force operating across the surface, subsurface, and air domains.

The newest anti-ship missiles were tested in the exercise, with an advanced warhead that can travel close to supersonic speeds to strike targets more than 100 miles away, evading detection by skimming the sea.

Lieutenant Commander Louise Kirkaldy, HMS Portland’s Principal Warfare, said: “The successful firing of Naval Strike Missile marks a significant milestone for the Royal Navy, demonstrating our ability to deliver credible, modern maritime strike capability.

“This achievement reflects the professionalism, dedication and teamwork of all those involved, whose hard work has ensured we remain ready to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

The operation was originally scheduled for May but was delayed until September.

Lieutenant Commander Rhydian Edwards, Test & Evaluation Commander, Maritime Aviation Strike Operational Advantage Group, said: “This was a landmark moment for the Wildcat Force. For the first time we demonstrated the live firing of an operational Sea Venom missile against a representative maritime target. More importantly, we proved our ability to execute the full maritime strike kill chain under realistic operational conditions.

“This was about giving commanders confidence that Wildcat can find, fix and strike maritime targets using Sea Venom as part of a wider task group. The lessons learned from this activity will directly inform future tactics, training and operational capability development, ensuring Maritime Aviation Strike remains ready to fight and win when called upon.”

A similar exercise was carried out in September 2022 when the former USS Boone was sunk near Campbeltown.