Australia Validates Long-Range Anti-Ship Capability with HMAS Sydney Naval Strike Missile Live Fire.

The Royal Australian Navy struck the decommissioned cruiser USS Mobile Bay with a Naval Strike Missile fired from HMAS Sydney during RIMPAC 2026 off Hawaii. The live fire event confirmed Australia's long-range maritime strike capability and strengthened allied deterrence across the Indo-Pacific.

The engagement formed part of the maritime phase of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, the world's largest multinational naval exercise. After HMAS Sydney launched the Naval Strike Missile against the retired Ticonderoga-class cruiser, two embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopters followed with AGM-114 Hellfire missile strikes, demonstrating coordinated surface and aviation attack operations. The exercise validated the Royal Australian Navy's operational integration of the Naval Strike Missile while highlighting Australia's growing ability to conduct high-intensity maritime combat alongside U.S. and allied naval forces.

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HMAS Sydney (V) conducts a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) firing during RIMPAC Sea phase off the coast of Hawaii, United States. (Picture source: Australian MoD)

HMAS Sydney is the third Hobart-class guided missile destroyer in service with the Royal Australian Navy. Commissioned in 2020, the vessel is 147.2 metres long, displaces approximately 7,000 tonnes and is built around the Aegis Combat System integrated with the AN/SPY-1D(V) phased array radar. Designed to perform area air defence, anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare missions, it is capable of operating within multinational naval task groups through a fully integrated combat architecture. Its combat management system can track and engage multiple air and surface threats simultaneously using Link 16 tactical data links and a vertical launching system capable of deploying Standard Missiles and other guided munitions. The integration of the Naval Strike Missile has provided the destroyer with a dedicated long-range anti-ship capability that enables it to engage targets well beyond the horizon.

According to the Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Sydney launched a Naval Strike Missile against the former USS Mobile Bay during a multinational SINKEX before its embarked MH-60R Seahawk from Flight 607, callsign Fenrir, fired two AGM-114N Hellfire missiles at the target. A second Australian MH-60R from Flight 605, deployed aboard the US Navy destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer, landed on HMAS Sydney to receive two Hellfire missiles before taking part in the attack. This cross-deck rearming operation demonstrated the level of interoperability achieved between Australian and US naval aviation units during complex live fire operations. USS Mobile Bay served in the US Navy from 1987 until its decommissioning in 2023 before being used as the target vessel for the exercise.

Developed by Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, the Naval Strike Missile is among the most modern anti-ship missiles currently in operational service. With a range exceeding 185 kilometres, it combines inertial navigation, GPS guidance and terrain reference navigation during the cruise phase before relying on an imaging infrared seeker capable of autonomously identifying its target during the terminal phase. Its low-altitude sea-skimming flight profile and ability to perform unpredictable terminal manoeuvres are intended to reduce the likelihood of interception by modern naval air defence systems. Its fully passive terminal guidance also limits electromagnetic emissions, reducing the risk of detection and electronic countermeasures in contested environments.

The event took place as part of Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2026, better known as RIMPAC, the biennial multinational maritime exercise organised by the US Pacific Fleet. Held from June 24 to July 31 around the Hawaiian Islands, the 2026 edition brings together 31 nations, approximately 40 surface ships, five submarines, more than 140 aircraft and nearly 25,000 military personnel. Australia contributes around 430 personnel, the destroyer HMAS Sydney, the Australian Defence Vessel Guidance, Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. The exercise is intended to improve interoperability among participating forces, validate multinational command procedures and prepare participants for the full spectrum of maritime operations in a contested environment.

Within this framework, a SINKEX is not limited to sinking a decommissioned vessel. It provides an opportunity to validate the complete operational engagement chain under conditions that closely replicate combat, from target detection and identification through mission planning, weapons employment, battle damage assessment and coordination between surface combatants, helicopters and multinational headquarters. Such exercises also allow participating navies to evaluate logistics procedures, aviation support, ammunition handling and communications networks used during coalition maritime operations.

For Australia, the successful firing confirms the evolution of the Hobart-class destroyers into platforms capable of engaging hostile surface vessels at long range while remaining outside the effective range of many legacy anti-ship weapons. This capability enhances the Royal Australian Navy's maritime denial capacity, contributes to the protection of sea lines of communication and improves the defence of deployed naval task groups across the Indo-Pacific. Combined with the Aegis Combat System, embarked MH-60R helicopters and surveillance assets including the P-8A Poseidon and E-7A Wedgetail, these destroyers are increasingly suited to operating in environments where long-range precision strike and rapid information sharing play a central role.

Beyond the exercise itself, the event reflects broader developments in the Indo-Pacific security environment. As China's naval capabilities continue to expand and military activity increases across the region's maritime areas, the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and other partners are strengthening interoperability to maintain a credible collective response capability in the event of a regional crisis. By integrating new strike capabilities into multinational high-intensity operational scenarios, Australia continues to develop its contribution to regional deterrence, freedom of navigation and the maintenance of the strategic balance across the Western Pacific.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.