The guided-missile frigate USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG-60) concluded nearly three decades of naval service with a final role in a large-scale training exercise rather than in combat. The retired warship was intentionally sunk during a controlled SINKEX (sinking exercise) conducted as part of the multinational RIMPAC 2022 near Hawaii. Commissioned in 1987, the frigate served the United States Navy through the final years of the Cold War and into the modern era, supporting patrols, security operations, and joint exercises worldwide.
Before the exercise, naval engineers prepared the vessel by removing hazardous materials, fuel residues, and sensitive systems to comply with environmental and security regulations. During the live-fire drill, the decommissioned ship was struck by advanced weapons, including an AGM-84 Harpoon missile, one of the Navy’s primary sea-skimming strike systems. The strike formed part of a planned scenario designed to provide analysts with real-world data on missile performance and ship survivability.
Officials say the data gathered will help improve future warship design, weapons technology, and combat readiness. For many former crew members, however, the sinking marked an emotional farewell to a vessel that once served as their home during years of deployments at sea.
