It’s called the “silent service” for a reason.

Special counsel Jack Smith investigated whether former President Donald Trump shared sensitive information about the US nuclear submarine program with an Australian billionaire – who then repeated the information to dozens of others. 

The purported conversation between Trump, 77, and Anthony Pratt took place at Mar-a-Lago in April 2021 – months after the ex-president left office, according to ABC News.

Pratt, the head of packaging company Pratt Industries, reportedly told federal prosecutors that Trump discreetly disclosed to him the precise number of nuclear warheads US submarines carry and how close they can get to a Russian submarine without being detected. 

The submarine community – dubbed the Navy’s “silent service” – relies on secrecy to ensure not only the safety of sailors on board, but also national security. American submariners typically go months at a time underwater, unable to speak to their families while deployed on highly sensitive mission.

A November 2013 Congressional Budget Office report states that the US fleet of Ohio-class nuclear submarines can carry a maximum of 20 missiles and up to eight nuclear warheads per missile. The Navy has just 14 of them, which will be replaced in the 2030s with an updated version – the Columbia class – currently under production. 

It was unclear Friday to which submarine class Trump was referring.

Trump allegedly revealed the information to Pratt after the packaging magnate told the former president that he believed Australia should purchase its submarines from the US. 

Within minutes of their conversation, the Australian billionaire informed another Mar-a-Lago guest of what Trump had just told him, a former employee at the Palm Beach, Fla., club told federal investigators, according to the outlet.

Pratt would go on to share the information with at least 45 others, according to the report, including journalists, some of his employees, and Australian officials, including three former Australian prime ministers. 

Federal investigators reportedly told Pratt not to repeat the numbers allegedly disclosed by the former president, indicating the security concerns raised by the disclosure.

Submarines are a critical component to the US’ “nuclear triad” due the platform’s ability to keep nuclear weapons outside the nation, clandestinely patrol the adversary’s waters and remain undetected to enemies to avoid becoming a target.

“[Submarines] assure we can strike at any time, anywhere, even after a surprise (nuclear) attack,” according to the service. “This survivability gives national leadership greater flexibility in the decision-making process.”

If enemies gain knowledge of the submarines’ specifications or plans, the knowledge could be used to thwart both offensive and defensive attacks, detect and destroy the American vessels or design capabilities targeted at exploiting their vulnerabilities, defense experts say.

Pratt told investigators Trump didn’t share any government documents with him during their April 2021 discussion and had not done so since.

Trump faces 40 criminal counts related to his alleged retention of sensitive White House documents at Mar-a-Lago after his presidency. 

One of those counts accuses Trump of holding on to a classified document outlining a potential plan of attack against Iran, which he showed in the summer of 2021 to a writer and editor working on a biography of former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Earlier this year, President Biden announced that the US will sell at least three nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia. 

Some of the Australian officials involved in the discussions with the Biden administration about the submarine sale were reportedly among the individuals that Pratt talked to about his alleged conversation with Trump.