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A Royal Navy frigate has just fired its new warship target in the North Atlantic. At the same time, a Wildcat helicopter based on the same ship launched a Sea Venom missile. So, why shoot both? Because these two weapons don't just do the same job. They provide the Royal Navy with various ways to detect, engage and pressure a naval target both from the frigate itself and from the air. And that's what makes these exercises more interesting than a simple missile test. During the Atlantic Thunder 2026 exercise, HMS Portland and its Wildcat tested various links in the naval strike chain: from detecting and identifying a target to engaging it with various types of weapons.
According to the Royal Navy, these exercises were the culmination of more than a year of planning. This was a major milestone for HMS Portland. A Type 23 frigate conducted the Royal Navy's first operational launch of a Naval Strike Missile against a warship. The target was the decommissioned USS Klakring, which was being used during live fire exercises off the northwestern coast of Scotland. Lieutenant Commander Louise Kirkaldy called the launch of NSM a landmark milestone for the But the launch of NSM is only part of the story. A Wildcat helicopter from the 815th Marine Aviation Squadron also conducted the first combat firing of an operational Sea Venom missile against a naval target. More importantly, its crew fully implemented the naval strike chain: from
detection and identification to target destruction. The Royal Navy says the lessons learned will help shape future tactics, training and operational capabilities. These two missiles serve different roles. NSM gives the frigate the ability to engage targets at longer ranges; The Royal Navy notes that the missile can fly at speeds close to supersonic and hit targets at a distance of more than 100 miles, traveling low above the sea surface. The Sea Venom has a shorter range and uses a communication channel with the operator, allowing the crew to adjust the missile's aiming point during flight. However, the exercises were not only about missile launches. HMS Portland also maintained a wider targeting network as US and British forces
coordinated a joint attack. Sensors on the target collected data on battle damage, which helped to draw conclusions that went beyond the simple fact of the ship sinking. Ultimately, the USS Klakring was sunk after the use of multiple weapons. But this does not mean that the same results would be achieved against a warship with active defense and countermeasures. The real value was the data, crew experience, interoperability, and guidance procedures developed during the exercises. So, could NSM-equipped frigates and Wildcat helicopters with Sea Venom missiles become an important part of the
