News Beat
Stunning moment Nato submarine torpedoes frigate in exercise as ship erupts into the air & containers fall off
THIS is the moment a submarine sent a frigate to the bottom of the ocean after one blast from a heavyweight torpedo.
Dramatic footage of the Nato training exercise shows the exact moment of impact sinking the vessel in the North Sea.
The blast’s force flung shipping containers on board into the air, pushing them over the side of the boat as it violently rocked.
The torpedo’s impact also caused an eruption of huge waves and sea spray, forcing water up the side of the vessel and covering its decks.
The hard-hitting impact lifted the frigate’s hull out of the water, leaving the body of the decommissioned KNM Trondheim snapped in two.
Wider footage shows the moment it vertically sank into the ocean.
The ship had been laden with containers for the purpose of the training exercise.
In a statement, Nato said: “The purpose of the shot was to verify and demonstrate the striking power that the weapon and the submarine represent”.
“A submarine has long endurance, operates covertly, and has a unique ability to dictate the battle,” the statement added.
Nato’s Allied Joint Force Command released the video of the training exercise off the coast of Andoy in Norway.
It was a joint operation between the Norwegian Navy, the Royal Navy and the Polish Navy, where they carried out the live fire drills.
The rare video comes as tensions rise between Russia and Nato nations, with Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, Wieslaw Kukula, warning that Putin is “actively” preparing for war with Nato.
“They are building an environment here intended to create conditions favourable for potential aggression to Polish territory,” he said, describing the current situation as “a pre-war situation – or what we refer to as hybrid warfare.”
“The enemy has begun preparing for war,” he added.
“He is creating a certain atmosphere here aimed at undermining public trust in the government, in key structures such as the armed forces and the police, as well as creating conditions favourable to potential aggression on Polish territory.”
The chilling warning comes days after a crucial rail link between Warsaw and Ukraine was blown up in what officials called an “unprecedented act of sabotage.”
The force of a heavyweight torpedo detonating under the keel is not often witnessed at such close proximity, according to the Maritime Executive.
KNM Uthaug is a Ula-class submarine, fitted with twin diesel generators and an electric motor final drive.
The hull sections, built in Norway, were later taken to Germany for final assembly, and were delivered in 1991.
The vessel has been in service for 35 years while being continually upgraded, along with five others, all operating on a life extension.
The first replacements of the hulls will begin to arrive in 2029.
