Watch: Incredible Moment US Sinks Its Own Ship Off Hawaii

The American military has sunk a ship belonging to the US, in a joint force exercise near Hawaii.

Ex-USS Ingraham, a decommissioned navy guided-missile frigate, was destroyed during a sinking drill in the Hawaiian Islands Operating Area.

The US Navy's Large Scale Exercise saw strikes from sea, air and land delivered to the vessel.

Referred to as 'hulks', former military ships to be sunk are required to be in 6,000ft of water and 50 nautical miles from land, as part of broad measures to protect maritime life and people during the action.

A thorough cleaning process also takes place before the sinking, to limit the environmental cost of the exercise.

Units taking part in the long-range, live-fire destruction included: Vinson Carrier Strike Group, Submarine Forces Pacific, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force/3rd Marine Air Wing, III Marine Expeditionary/3rd Marine Division, and the US Army Multi-Domain Task Force.