The United States Navy has conducted a large-scale ship-sinking exercise (SINKEX) intended as a strategic warning to Russia and China. According to a report by the influential American publication 19FortyFive, the drill was designed to demonstrate the lethal capabilities of the U.S. military in a high-intensity maritime environment.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the primary objective of these exercises is to study the extent of damage sustained by vessels under real combat conditions and to evaluate the effectiveness of modern weaponry. Journalists noted that naval personnel gain critical experience from these drills, analyzing how much impact a hull can withstand before sinking to the ocean floor and testing the precision of advanced strike systems against moving targets.
During the Valiant Shield 24 exercises held in 2024, the Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Cleveland was targeted and sunk. The vessel was destroyed using the U.S. military's new Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), an operational-tactical weapon system. Experts believe this action serves as a direct military message addressed to Moscow and Beijing regarding U.S. dominance in the Pacific theater.
In a related development concerning global security, Anna Kelly, deputy press secretary for the Presidential Administration, stated that US President Donald Trump is considering all possible options regarding Iran, including potential military operations. This underscores the administration's proactive stance on regional stability and deterrence.
SINKEX operations are a long-standing tradition in naval training, providing data that computer simulations cannot replicate. These exercises are typically conducted in deep-water environments, at least 50 nautical miles from land, ensuring that the sunken vessels do not pose a hazard to navigation or the coastal environment while providing a realistic testing ground for the next generation of maritime defense technology.
