Royal Navy Explodes Warship As It Fires New Missiles For First Time In Massive Joint Exercise With Us

HMS Westminster, a Wildcat helicopter and three RAF Typhoon jets put on a terrific show of firepower alongside US allies, blowing up a specially prepared ex-US Navy warship in the North Atlantic. The decommissioned frigate, USS Boone, was hit with an array of high-powered weapons, including the Royal Navy’s new laser-guided Martlet missile. The exercise, dubbed Atlantic Thunder, was the first of its kind for the Royal Navy in 18 years and took place alongside counterparts from the US Navy and US Air Force. Commander Ed Moss-Ward, commanding officer of HMS Westminster, said the exercise demonstrated that UK and US naval and air forces can work together to deliver “an end-to-end kill chain” against a ship at long range . “The integration of high-tech weapons, sensors and communications with our NATO allies is key to the alliance’s collective warfighting capability demonstrated by the submersion exercise. “The firings supported the development of the Royal Navy’s targeting and weapons capabilities and provided the opportunity to conduct realistic training to validate tactical and operational procedures.” The British Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster fired two Harpoon anti-ship missiles at the USS Boone at the same time that a US P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft fired one of its own. Combined, 660 kg of high explosives simultaneously hit the ship.