The ex-USS Mobile Bay, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, is scheduled to be sunk by friendly forces during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) wargames in the coming weeks, according to The War Zone. The vessel, which was decommissioned from active service, will serve as a live-fire target for participating naval units, providing a rare opportunity for realistic training against a full-sized warship.
This planned sinking represents a significant shift in force posture for the U.S. Navy, as Ticonderoga-class cruisers have been gradually phased out due to age and maintenance costs. Using an actual hull allows allied navies to practice coordinated strikes, improving interoperability and combat readiness without risking operational vessels. The exercise underscores the Navy's focus on sinking exercises (SINKEX) as a critical training tool.
Allied participation in RIMPAC, which includes nations such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea, means the Mobile Bay's destruction will serve as a joint training event. Rival navies, particularly China and Russia, often monitor such exercises closely as indicators of alliance cohesion and tactical doctrine. The sinking may also draw attention from defense analysts tracking the decline of U.S. cruiser numbers.
No specific budget figures or contract values for the sinking operation were disclosed. However, using retired hulls instead of building dedicated targets reduces overall training costs. The Mobile Bay is the latest in a series of decommissioned warships to be repurposed for SINKEX events, a practice that requires environmental and regulatory approvals to mitigate pollution risks.
The loss of a cruiser hull also highlights the Navy's ongoing transition toward newer destroyer and frigate designs, as the service's surface combatant fleet shrinks. Analysts may view the sinking as a low-level escalation risk only if it triggers diplomatic protests from nations opposed to live-fire training in contested waters.