RIMPAC 98. During the early morning hours the exercise to sink the BADGER began. The BADGER absorbed impacts from Penguin, Hellfire, Maverick and telemetry-guided Harpoon missiles, remaining afloat off Barking Sands, Kauai the entire afternoon. It should be noted the missiles did not sink the BADGER! Later that same afternoon, an Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team boarded the BADGER via helicopter, placed timed charges inside the hull which were set to detonate after they evacuated. The next morning search aircraft were unable to locate the BADGER; it was assumed she sank during the evening of July 21 or the pre-dawn hours of July 22.
