Bulking Up… Canuck Edition
Not gonna lie, this one has me surprised. Yesterday the Canadian government announced its intent to acquire 12 new Diesel-Electric submarines for the Royal Canadian Navy! You heard that right, 12!
Canadian Defense Minister’s Announcement
In the press conference held yesterday, Canadian defense minister Bill Blair said that this “new conventional fleet” of subs would be used to “covertly detect and deter maritime threats.” This plan will see Canada tripling its Submarine fleet, as the new vessels will replace the RCN’s current fleet of four “Victoria-class”. All of whom were acquired second-hand from the British Royal Navy between 1990 and 1993, and have been a source of headache for the Canadians, as the vessels needed extensive upgrades and were not introduced into the Canadian fleet until 2000-2004. One of them, the HMCS Chicoutimi, even caught fire during underway repairs, killing one officer.
No Time Frame or Design Selected Yet
Now I must point out that no timeframe has been given for the first submarines to arrive in Canada, nor has a design been selected from any shipbuilders. Retired RCN Vice-Admiral Mark Norman expressed his concern about the program. Admitting that “Our track record is atrocious.”
