Submarine tender USS Frank Cable spotted off the coast of Queensland

One of only two US nuclear submarine repair ships has been spotted off the Queensland coast this afternoon headed towards Brisbane.

A US nuclear submarine repair ship has been spotted off the Queensland coast heading towards Brisbane.

The USS Frank Cable was spotted outside of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast about 11.15am Saturday on its first return to the city since 2022.

Part of the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command, the 197m-long submarine tender is designed to support and repair other vessels, including the nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class attack submarines.

USS Frank Cable docks at Pinkenba - A heavy police presence patrol the Brisbane River in a boat as the ship docks - PicBruceLong

The Frank Cable (AS 40) and the USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) are the only two operational US Navy submarine tenders.

A submarine tender provides maintenance and repair services to submarines and other war ships.

According to the US Navy, the auxiliary ships provide “expeditionary intermediate-level maintenance, services, and logistics support to deployed submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The Frank Cable and the USS Emory S. Land are commanded by US Naval officers, but, unlike other military vessels, comprise a hybrid civilian and military crew.

Based in Guam in Micronesia, the USS Frank Cable can have up to about 155 civilian mariners alongside about 205 US Navy sailors on board.

The USS America passing by the coastline of Caloundra. Photo: Bluey's Photography

It is visiting Queensland as support for the battle ships of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, which are participating in the largest military training exercise in the southern hemisphere.

Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 (TS25), is the Australian Defence Force’s largest biennial, bilaterally designed military training exercise with the US, which started July 13 and runs through to August 4.

The Frank Cable is at least the fourth US naval ship to visit Brisbane this month, with the USS America having arrived in port on July 9, with the USS Rushmore and USS San Diego joining the US Navy’s largest amphibious assault ship the next day.

Various ships from other nations have also stopped into different ports long Queensland in recent weeks, in preparation for TS25.

US War ships, USS Rushmore (left) and the USS San Diego (right) stopped into Brisbane on July 10, where they joined the USS America. Picture: Steve Pohlner

With about 35,000 military personnel from 19 countries participating in this year’s mock war games – and two more nations sending first-time observers – Talisman Sabre is the largest multinational military training exercise in the southern hemisphere, having first claimed the title during the 10th iteration in 2023.

The massive exercise comprises live-fire and field training, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvres, air combat, and marine operations.

The aim of this year’s training is to improve combined joint warfighting capability and interoperability, with the focus this year on multi-domain warfighting, according to the ADF.

Multi-domain Operations are strategies that integrate various capabilities across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.

The majority of the battle drills are occurring throughout Queensland and in the Coral Sea, with some also taking place in the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, including on Christmas Island, and – for the first time – Papua New Guinea.

Crew members from the USS Frank Cable helped clean up debris following the 2022 Brisbane floods during the ships last visit to Brisbane.

Originally published as Submarine tender USS Frank Cable spotted off the coast of Queensland