HMAS Warramunga (FFH-152) engages Ex-USS New Orleans (LPH-11) with her 5" gun during a surface engagement, part of Exercise RIMPAC 2010.

RIMPAC 2010, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is  one of the world’s largest maritime exercises, with participation by 14 nations, including including Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, France, Colombia, Chile, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Peru, South Korea and Thailand.   RIMPAC began on June 23rd and will continue through the end of July.  Ships from the various navies started arriving late last month.

As part of the exercises at least three surplus ships will play the role of enemy ships were scheduled to be sunk by missiles and naval gunfire, in what the navy refers to as ‘high end multi-national target practice,’  also known as ‘sinkex’ or sinking exercise.   Last weekend the ex USS New Orleans was sunk.    USS New Orleans (LPH-11), was an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1968 and decommissioned in 1997. She was a recovery ship for Project Apollo and was used in the filming of the movie Apollo 13.The  ex USS Anchorage and the ex USS Tarawa are also slated for sinking.

While I have no doubt that serious exercises are taking place, to an outsider it looks like a really big naval play-date.  RIMPAC 2010, of course, has its own Facebook page.

USS New Orleans