{"id":30158,"date":"2026-03-07T20:33:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T20:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=30158"},"modified":"2026-03-07T20:33:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T20:33:37","slug":"final-mission-former-u-s-navy-frigate-uss-rodney-m-davis-sent-to-the-ocean-floor-in-powerful-missile-test-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=30158","title":{"rendered":"(-) Final Mission: Former U.S. Navy Frigate USS Rodney M. Davis Sent to the Ocean Floor in Powerful Missile Test \u2013 VIDEO"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After nearly three decades of service protecting U.S. and allied interests around the world, the former\u00a0USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG-60)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0completed its final mission in dramatic fashion \u2014 not in combat, but as part of a major naval training exercise designed to prepare the next generation of sailors.<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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The once-active guided-missile frigate was deliberately sunk during a controlled\u00a0SINKEX (sinking exercise)<\/strong>\u00a0conducted as part of the multinational\u00a0RIMPAC<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in 2022 near Hawaii.<\/p>\n

Originally commissioned in\u00a01987<\/strong>, the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate served the United States Navy throughout the final years of the Cold War and well into the modern era. Named after Medal of Honor recipient Rodney Maxwell Davis, the ship participated in numerous patrols, security missions, and joint exercises across the globe.<\/p>\n

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But before its final voyage beneath the Pacific, the vessel was carefully prepared. Naval engineers removed hazardous materials, fuel residues, and sensitive equipment to meet strict environmental and security standards.<\/p>\n

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Then came the final test.<\/p>\n

During the exercise, the retired warship was struck by advanced weapons, including an\u00a0AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile<\/strong>, one of the U.S. Navy\u2019s primary sea-skimming strike weapons. The impact was part of a carefully planned live-fire scenario designed to provide analysts with real-world data on missile effectiveness and ship survivability.<\/p>\n

For naval strategists and weapons engineers, the sinking offered valuable insight into how modern weapons perform against large naval targets. The data collected helps improve future warship design, missile technology, and combat preparedness.<\/p>\n

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For many former crew members, however, the moment carried a more personal weight.<\/p>\n

The USS Rodney M. Davis had once been their home at sea \u2014 a ship that carried thousands of sailors through long deployments, training missions, and operations across distant oceans. Watching the vessel disappear beneath the waves marked the end of a proud chapter in naval history.<\/p>\n

Although the frigate\u2019s story concluded beneath the Pacific, its final mission served a new purpose: strengthening the readiness of the fleets that continue to patrol the world\u2019s oceans today.<\/p>\n