The Drive reports that on August 15th, 2021, the U.S. Navy sank the USS Ingraham in a  Sinking Exercise (SINKEX) off Hawaii as part of the ongoing and unprecedently massive Large Scale Exercise 2021. Not a whole lot is known about this SINKEX just yet, but multiple types of weapons were involved, including a Super Hornet-launched AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) and stealthy Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) launched from the Marine Corps’ new unmanned ground-based launcher vehicles. P-8s were also involved, which could mean they employed AGM-84 Harpoons. There are likely a number of other weapons that were fired at the frigate, too, as is typically the case during SINKEXs, which are prized and infrequent training and developmental opportunities.

The incorporation of the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) is a major development for this SINKEX. The system uses an unmanned vehicle based on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle’s chassis, known as Remotely Operated Ground Unit Expeditionary-Fires (ROGUE-Fires), that carries twin Naval Strike Missile launch canisters. 

USS Ingraham was the last vessel in the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, which have been used in previous sinking exercises (and have shown considerable resilience). Maritime Executive notes that in an odd quick of history, she was also the second ship of this name to be used in a sinking exercise. The previous USS Ingraham, a Sumner-class destroyer built in 1944 and decommissioned in 1971, was sold to the Greek Navy and was sunk as a target in 2001.