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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (April 4, 2025) — Cmdr. John W. Gilligan, commanding officer of the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Montana (SSN 794), right, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Vice Adm. Nobuyuki Takenaka, commander, Fleet Submarine Force, center, and Royal Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Perks, director submarines, pose for a picture before touring Montana during the Undersea Warfare Commanders’ Conference (USWCC) on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, April 4, 2025. First held in 2018, this year’s theme was “Strengthening Theater Undersea Warfare Interoperability and Lethality in the Indo-Pacific Theater.” The USWCC conference included submarine force representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the U.K. The multi-day event included briefings from each partner nation focused on force employment, combat readiness, interoperability, and integration of emerging technology such as unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Scott Barnes)