HMAS Ballarat fires at ex-USS Thatch
HMAS Ballarat, an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, has fired six missiles in a sinking exercise (SINKEX) during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 exercise in Hawaii, the navy announced on 4 August.
The frigate fired three Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, a Harpoon anti-ship missile, and launched its embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to fire two Hellfire missiles at the ex-USS Thatch, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class former frigate of the US Navy.
During the international maritime exercise, the frigate was part of the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group. It conducted air defence, anti-submarine and surface serials during the exercise's complex multi-threat warfare environment training scenarios.
The Evolved Sea Sparrow is a medium-range, surface-to-air missile that can target and engage low velocity air threats, surface-based targets, high-diving threats, and highly manoeuvring, high-speed anti-ship cruise missiles. It can also engage ships, helicopters and aircraft.
Exercise RIMPAC saw more than 25,000 personnel from 26 countries participate in training to improve interoperability between Pacific Rim armed forces.
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