AC-130J gunship pummels Navy vessel during Rim of the Pacific

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AC-130J gunship pummels Navy vessel during Rim of the Pacific

A U.S. Air Force AC-130J gunship took part in battering and sinking a retired U.S. Navy vessel during this summer’s

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, according to explosive footage released by the Air Force.

A New Mexico-based 27th Special Operations Wing crew manning the AC-130J bludgeoned the Austin-class amphibious transport dock Dubuque with cannon ***** from the air as part of a live-***** sinking exercise last month.

The former amphibious ******** ship Tarawa was also sent to the ocean floor as part of the exercise. Footage of the Tarawa’s final moments above the ocean’s surface has yet to be released.

This year’s

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, or RIMPAC, involved 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. It is the largest international maritime exercise and allows militaries the opportunity to test high-powered weapons in real-world scenarios.

Over the roughly minute-and-a-half video, which was recorded off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the AC-130J ambushes the Dubuque with a barrage of cannon *****.

Impacts can be seen across the vessel’s surface, with billows of smoke signaling each heavy strike.

Though not included in the video, Dubuque was also hit by

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and elements from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.

The Dubuque, which now rests 15,000 feet below the waves, was commissioned in 1967 and went on to serve in Vietnam before being decommissioned in 2011.

Ships sunk during the RIMPAC exercise must be cleaned of any toxic substances, such as mercury or petroleum, in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Vessels must also sink at least 6,000 feet underwater and 50 nautical miles from land.

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