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Silence is victory: US super-sub slips into Brisbane

Silence is victory: US super-sub slips into Brisbane

The Age30-07-2025
A small emblem on the control panel of the USS Ohio reminds navy personnel how and why they operate.
'Silence is victory,' it reads.
The US submarine arrived in Brisbane waters on the weekend before docking at the city's port, a first-ever visit to the city by a vessel in its class.
The Ohio – a nuclear-powered guided missile submarine – is visiting Brisbane to coincide with the upcoming 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific on August 15, which marks the end of World War II in the region.
Brisbane hosted more than 70 US submarines and three submarine tenders during the war. But this kind of firepower in Queensland waters is a rare sight as the 170-metre long, 13-metre wide vessel rests adjacent to the USS Frank Cable.
Captain Eric Hunter describes the submarine as a 'deterrent and geopolitical force'.
The control station boasts screens, buttons, and steering instruments enabling officers to plunge the submarine to depths of more than 200 metres.
The 165 people on board operate in hushed voices – silence is victory so remaining undetected is always the goal.
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