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US Navy releases footage of USS Peleliu being hit by missiles during SINKEX
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The US Navy released unique footage from its latest SINKEX (live sinking exercise) event off the coast of Hawaii on July 17, 2026. Two former warships, the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu and the cruiser USS Mobile Bay, were sunk. On July 29, the Navy released b-roll footage from cameras placed inside and around the Peleliu as it was struck by two UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles fired from the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia. The video shows the warship shuddering from the powerful blasts. This was the third SINKEX event in recent weeks, following the sinking of the former USS Juneau during the Valiant Shield exercise in June. The article also provides historical context for the Peleliu, noting its commissioning in 1980, its role in deploying Marines to Afghanistan after 9/11, and its decommissioning in 2015 after 35 years of service.
Source report
The U.S. Navy has offered a rare, inside perspective of a live sinking exercise (SINKEX), releasing footage that captures the moment two former warships were struck by missiles and sent to the ocean floor.
The SINKEX Event
On July 17, the Navy conducted a SINKEX off the coast of Hawaii, sinking two decommissioned vessels:
- USS Peleliu — an amphibious assault ship
- USS Mobile Bay — a cruiser
On July 24, the Navy released footage of the sinking, including video of the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) — an uncrewed surface vessel — targeting the USS Peleliu.
On July 29, the Navy released additional b-roll footage captured from inside the ship as it was struck by two UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship cruise missiles, fired from the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia.
Cameras placed inside and around the vessel show the warship shuddering as the powerful blasts tear through its interior.
Recent SINKEX Activity
The sinking of the Peleliu and Mobile Bay marks the third SINKEX event in recent weeks. The former USS Juneau was sent to the ocean floor during the Valiant Shield exercise (June 22–July 1) off the coast of the Mariana Islands Range Complex.
History of the USS Peleliu
Commissioned in May 1980, the USS Peleliu was the first ship to deploy Marines to Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, commanded by then-Marine Brig. Gen. James Mattis under Task Force 58, operated from the vessel.
That same task force captured John Walker Lindh in November 2001. Lindh, an American citizen who became an enemy combatant, later confessed to being a member of Al-Qaeda while aboard the Peleliu.
Nicknamed the “Iron Nickel,” the ship steamed more than one million miles over 35 years of service before its decommissioning in March 2015.
About the author: Claire Barrett is an editor and military history correspondent for Military Times. She is also a World War II researcher with an affinity for Sir Winston Churchill and Michigan football.
Source
Military TimesWestern
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