A sinking exercise (SINKEX) on Jul. 12 off the coast of Hawaii saw Japan and the U.S. Army firing anti-ship missiles at decommissioned ex-USS Racine (LST-1191).
180712-N-HO130-2002 PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY BARKING SANDS, Hawaii (July 12, 2018) Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) fire a Japanese Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile (SSM-12) at the ex-USS Racine (LST-1191), positioned at sea, during a sinking exercise, July 12, at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. This marks the first time the U.S. Army and JGSDF have participated in a sinking exercise during RIMPAC. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security of the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Master Chief Mass Communication Specialist Brian Brannon/Released)
A Naval Strike Missile (NSM) was fired from a launcher on the back of a Palletized Load System (PLS) by the U.S. Army while the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force fired two SSM-12 anti-ships missiles.
Up in the air, a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A monitored the SINKEX.
