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U.S. Navy sinks decommissioned ship with Japanese torpedo during Valiant Shield exercise
The decommissioned USS Juneau was sunk more than 200 nautical miles off the Mariana Islands during the Valiant Shield training exercise. A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine fired the torpedo that sent the vessel to the ocean floor.
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The U.S. Navy sank its decommissioned Austin-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Juneau during the ongoing Valiant Shield exercise that runs from June 22 to July 1. The vessel went down more than 200 nautical miles off the coast in the Mariana Islands Range Complex after a torpedo strike from a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine.
Shield is a biennial field training exercise involving forces from the U.S., Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The exercise focuses on detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, in space, on land and in cyberspace. Rear Adm.
Eric Anduze, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Task Force 70, said the SINKEX provided an opportunity for joint forces to integrate capabilities across domains.
The former vessel entered service in 1969 and saw action in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. It was decommissioned in 2008 and was later moored at Pearl Harbor before being selected for the sinking exercise. Prior to any SINKEX, each vessel undergoes a rigorous cleaning process that includes removal of liquid polychlorinated biphenyls, trash, floatable materials, mercury and fluorocarbon-containing materials.
A Navy environmental, safety and health manager and a quality assurance supervisor inspect the remediation work.
