The US and UK Test the Combat Capability of the "Ship Destroyer"

Reference News Network reported on October 3 According to the Spanish "Mail" website on September 29, on September 29, the UK and the US sank the HMS "Clarklin" frigate off the coast of Scotland. This strike was part of a naval exercise, where the Royal Navy used a real target ship to test the new generation anti-ship missile, the Naval Strike Missile (NSM). This missile, nicknamed the "Ship Destroyer," originates from Norway, has a powerful warhead, can fly at supersonic speeds just above the sea, and strike targets over 160 kilometers away with high precision.

A video released by the US State Department showcased the missile's devastating capabilities. With just one missile, most of the target ship's hull was blown into the air. Subsequently, destroyers, helicopters, and F-15 fighter jets launched multiple missiles in succession, hitting the HMS "Clarklin," which was finally struck by a torpedo and sank to the seabed. The frigate was officially decommissioned in 2013 and had been moored at a military dock in Philadelphia for maintenance and storage of decommissioned vessels.

According to reports, the exercise, codenamed "Atlantic Thunder 26," has a very clear background: the escalating tensions between NATO allies in the Nordic seas and Russia. The exercise aims to test the joint operational capabilities of the US and UK militaries and assess the combat readiness of their surface naval forces. Royal Navy Commander Paul Meg wrote in "British Defence Magazine" that this exercise simulates "high-intensity maritime combat, and we hope we never have to engage in real combat."

In addition, the exercise has a technical objective. After the ship was destroyed, a batch of portable underwater survey drones descended into the sea to investigate the wreckage and collect real damage data caused by the missile. The wreck site is located in the waters of the Hebrides Islands in northwest Scotland, with the wreckage sinking to a depth of 1900 meters. This mission will analyze the damage to the hull structure, including the propagation of explosions within the ship's compartments and the complete process of seawater influx before the ship sank.

This research is of great significance for the future development of naval equipment. The missile will create one or more breaches in the hull, which is known as direct primary damage. However, the massive influx of seawater and the sinking of the ship can also lead to secondary chain destruction. Experts state that the process of ship damage does not end the moment the vessel disappears from the surface of the sea. After sinking to the deep sea, internal explosions, extensive hull fractures, and impacts with the seabed can also cause additional damage. Underwater drones are used to comprehensively collect this series of data, and the research results will also help assess the frigate's resistance to new generation munitions.

The name "Clarklin" is derived from Rear Admiral Thomas Clarklin. During World War II, he commanded submarine operations and was awarded multiple highest honor medals, having commanded a fleet of seven submarines in the Pacific against Japan, reportedly sinking over ten enemy vessels. This "Oliver Hazard Perry" class frigate was commissioned in 1983 and officially decommissioned in 2013. After the completion of this survey operation, its final mission will be to become an artificial reef to support marine life. (Translation/ Han Chao)