Nuclear submarine USS Ohio arrives in Brisbane a day after the USS Frank Cable
A nuclear-powered attack submarine has joined the USS Frank Cable in Brisbane. Find out why and see our exclusive first look inside the sub repair ship.
QLD News
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United States nuclear-powered attack submarine, the USS Ohio, has made a historical first visit to Brisbane with a sparkling surprise arrival to the river city on Sunday.
The nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine with 150 crew on-board was spotted off Brisbane about 8.30am and officially docked at the Port of Brisbane about 1pm.
The delicate operation to get the 170m-long sub moored alongside submarine repair ship USS Frank Cable, which arrived on Saturday, took about an hour amid tight security and assistance from tug boats.
“It went very well considering the environment that we’re in with the current, the winds, and the first time that class of submarine has been moored here in Brisbane,” USS Frank Cable Executive Officer Michael Rodriguez said.
“We’ve actually had the Ohio next to us in Guam.
“We’re a little bit of a team and we’re happy to have them alongside once more.”
Details of the Ohio’s visit had been kept under wraps until it was spotted off the Queensland coast, with those on-board the Frank Cable unable to reveal where the sub had come from, how long it would stay in Australian waters, or where it was going next.
It’s understood neither vessel is here to participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Under the AUKUS security pact with the United Kingdom, and the United States, Australia is looking to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarines, likely the Virginia-class, which is the replacement for the USS Ohio’s Ohio-class model.
More US and UK nuclear-powered attack submarines are expected to visit Australia under the deal, which is under review by the Trump administration.
While in Brisbane, the more than 500 crew across the USS Ohio and Frank Cable will be granted shore leave and also volunteer in activities with local community groups.
The first thing many of the submariners were expected to do upon the USS Ohio’s arrival was step straight onto the waiting US Navy ship USS Frank Cable for haircuts or dental appointments, two of the many services offered on board the 197m-long USS Frank Cable (AS 40).
The Frank Cable’s commanding officer, Captain Mike Thompson, 56, from Midlothian, Texas, said the guided missile submarine could not visit Brisbane without the submarine repair ship first being present.
“It depends on the port, but Brisbane, in particular the infrastructure and the make-up of the piers, the submarine couldn’t come here without a submarine tender being here,” he said.
The Washington-based USS Ohio (SSGN 726) is fresh off a three year maintenance overhaul, and is the first Ohio-class submarine to visit Brisbane.
The Guam-based USS Frank Cable is one of only two nuclear submarine tenders in the US Navy.
Donned in dress blue uniforms, hundreds of sailors lined the decks of the Frank Cable and stood at attention as they manned the rails in a metaphorical salute to their host nation as the large grey ship approached the dock during dreary weather about 2pm Saturday.
Captain Thompson: “Frank Cable’s on a routine patrol and this is a normal port visit for us to have an opportunity to build on the alliance we have with the Australian navy.
“But I will say that the alliance we have with the Australians and the friendships we have with the Australians allows for port visits such as this and operations like Talisman Sabre to build on that alliance.”
Captain Thompson, who took over the helm of the Frank Cable in December, 2023, said submarine tenders were unique military ships for various reasons, including they comprised a hybrid crew of sailors and civilian mariners.
“We have about 350 to 400 navy sailors on board right now and about 150 civilian mariners on board,” he said.
“The Frank Cable is a support ship that has a threefold mission of repair, rearm and resupply and also to provide other support services to the navy.
“It allows the navy to sustain operations and to extend its global reach to anywhere in the world as we can repair a submarine or a surface ship at any location.”
The auxiliary ship has everything from medical and dental units to a post office, machinery shop and weapons department.
About 30 out of the hundreds of sailors on board wear a special patch attached to the sleeve of their uniform.
Hospital Corpsman Third Class Hilda Devera, 35, from San Diego, California, said they are part of the medical units walking blood bank program.
“It’s a program that usually goes down in emergency situations where we have mass casualties where we have a lot of sailors that are in need of a lot of blood,” she said.
“We have screened about 30 sailors on board to match up their blood type to sailors in need.
“(The patch) is a quick identifier for those blood donors.”
The medical and dental units have qualified staff and offer all of the basic services available on land, including a 14-bed hospital bay and even an audiologist booth for conducting hearing tests.
Despite being one of the Navy’s older ships, the Frank Cable has some of the most modern technology on board throughout its different departments, including everything from a 3D printer to other programs that have cut some manual work – that would previously take days – down to minutes, such as in the machinery shop.
Down several steep ladder-like stairs is the weapons department.
Weapons officer Lt Joseph Millard, 42, from Chapin, South Carolina, said the Frank Cable can carry ammunition for all types of weapons launched from a submarine as well as small arms like machine guns.
Weapons are loaded onto an air-driven lift and taken to a crane deck, where they are then moved to submarines.
A Firearms Training Simulator is also on board.
“This helps train the submarine crews and our own crew in shooting and marksmanship but also maintains our stockpile on ship,” he said.
Sitting on a tripod secured to the floor, a 50 calibre Browning M2 Heavy Barrel (M2HB) machine gun points at a giant screen on the wall.
Shooters are required to shoot at three cars blended into a green background.
Gunners Mate First Class Conner Lawson, 29, from Atlanta, Georgia, said the training simulator could be used in port or while the ship was underway.
“The firing simulator is a good means to properly train sailors before they get to use the real guns with real bullets,” he said.
“It’s all pneumatic and lasers.
“We work to the fundamentals so that way when they actually do live fire with live bullets there should be no issues.”
Down even further in the loudest part of the vessel is the machine shop where welders, electricians, carpenters, machinery repairmen and other tradies create, maintain or repair different items for submarines or other surface vessels.
Some of the items include submarine periscopes, hulls and even special types of nuts and bolts.
Captain Thompson said being able to provide parts, supplies as well as other services to personnel from other vessels was one of the reasons submarine tenders were unique ships.
“We have 53 shops and over 40 trades that we are able to outfit and repair a submarine and or surface ship from welding to pipe fitting to braising, mechanical repair, electrical repair, machinist, electronics, mass work,” he said.
“People think of the tender and they think of that and 100 per cent that’s a big portion of our job but it’s not just that, we also provide weapons support … whether it be reloading a submarine or helping them maintain their small arm qualifications.
“We give them services from the barber shop to the post office but also medical and dental with a full service doctors on board, dentists on board so the submarine tender … can also support surface ships and it’s very unique in the US Navy.”
The commanding officer said the USS Frank Cable’s port visit was also to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Pacific.
“This port visit is a great opportunity for us as we’re here for the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the war in the Pacific, which is very important, but it’s also symbolic as the US submarine force has ties to Brisbane dating back all the way to World War Two,” he said.
“The USS Griffin (AS13) came here in April of 1942 as a first submarine tender down here with six S class submarines in squadron five and, throughout World War Two, we had a total of three submarine tenders and 77 submarines that actually worked out of here,” he said.
“At the same time General Douglas MacArthur was headquartered here as the supreme allied commander of the Pacific.
Captain Thompson said a special reception for invited guests was scheduled to be held on board the ship later this week to kick off the 80th anniversary commemorations.
Victory in the Pacific Day, also known as VP Day, commemorates the end of the World War II in the Pacific following Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945.
Originally published as Nuclear submarine USS Ohio arrives in Brisbane a day after the USS Frank Cable
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