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designeraccd
20-03-2009, 16:43
The Other Submarine Incident in the News
Our northern neighbor has a submarine issue of their own making news today. Very interesting.


The Canadian Forces quietly scrambled an investigative team to the High Arctic last August to probe what it considered a "reliable" report of a foreign submarine sighting near the eastern entrance of the Northwest Passage - all the while trying to keep a public-relations lid on the matter, documents show.

The sub sighting occurred kilometres away from the location of a mysterious explosion that had been reported to authorities 10 days earlier and made news across Canada.

Today, the military refuses to discuss what it found last summer after probing the sub incident, citing operational security. Its silence on the possible underwater incursion - of a sort Canada is relatively powerless to detect or stop - stands in stark contrast to the clamour Ottawa makes when NORAD detects and intercepts approaching Russian bombers.
It is a good read in full.

Noteworthy it comes around the same time the Russians are talking up details about their submarine force, and their patrol rates.

The Canadian government is ignoring very serious sovereignty issues regarding their northern seas. Seems to me that with the trends creating more sea for a Northwest Passage trade routes between Asia and Europe in the summertime, the Canadian people are being shortchanged by their government who doesn't seem to have political interest in the thousands of foreign sailors soon to be cruising off their north coast.

In the US, our political leaders would be trying to figure out how to make money, and secure it, from this emerging change to economic pattern as a result of global climate change.

OLd Naval Guard
28-07-2010, 15:26
You are right, about us Canadains being short changed by the Goverment, in regards to the Arctic. Canada claims sovereignty over the North, but does not wish to spend a penny about it. In the 1980s there was talk of getting 12 Nuclear-powered Subs,;) to patrol the North. The Liberal party always talks about building a Icebreaker ship,under the Coast Guard, unarmed. They never seem to get around building that ship though:confused::rolleyes: Steven Harpers Goverment talks about Six-Four Patrol boats in the North Oh and also an icebreaker:rolleyes:. However withn the need to build a New destoyer class to replace the Tribals;)(Maybe) a new follow up on a eventual replacement for the Halifax class. Also the Joint Task force ship and the new Supply ships have been pushed back as well:(The Only real assets Canada has in the North are the 4 Victoria class submarines(Upholder Class ex-Royal navy). Canada does not take National Defence sersioulsy,shipbuliding or the North. Its actions speak louder than words.Eventually the Russians will call our Bluff, we will scream for the American who dont recongize our claims to the North at all and that will be that. Maybe an Icebreaker coming though;)!

Brian Wentzell
25-09-2011, 23:51
Gentlemen: The north continues to be a matter of political interest, posturing and sabre rattling. The Russians have committed naval, air, army and scientific forces to support their claims. The Americans are lamenting their own shortage of assets and skills but make great pronouncemnts of their view of Arctic issues. Canada has conducted scientific research voyages by Canadian Coast Guard Ships and military operations through the annual Operation Nanook series of exercises.

The Arctic/Offshore Patrol Vessels will be the first vessels built under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy which will announce the winning shipyards in (hopefully) October 2011. However, the Cyclone helicopter intended for these ships remains inoperable and the vintage Aurora MPA is used sparingly to conserve airframe hours. Boring northern patrols are not high on the list of priorities.

The Victoria Class submarines continue to be duds-none are now operational. Maybe two will be at sea next year-the navy promises but has yet to deliver. If the navy were smart they would start to develop an alternative strategy for the maintenance of a submarine capability. The taxpayers are getting fed up with the current submarine situation but remain concerned about northern sovereignty.

The question is whether the government has the will to supplement its rhetoric with action and whether the Canadian Navy is truly prepared to embrace the A/OPVs as a true asset that needs to be exploited and utilized to its utmost. Will the Canadian Air Force put more emphasis on maritime air patrols in the Arctic? I would not hold my breath.

Brian

astraltrader
26-09-2011, 22:26
Sorry to hear that the Victorias are still having problems as I still think there is a good submarine in their somewhere. :confused:

Brian Wentzell
11-10-2011, 21:12
Terry/Exeter: As an update, HMCS Victoria has made its first harbour dive as part of its post refit trials. Shapes have been fired from its torpedo tubes as well. So there does seem to be some progress with her. Meanwhile HMCS Windsor continues refitting in Halifax.

As an aside Halifax had a very unusual visitor this past week-HMS Vengeance (S31) spent almost a week here. This is the first time that I have seen a "boomer" here. USS Boise,an attack submarine, was here earlier this year for a weekend. Copyright pictures of Vengeance can be found at Shipfax.blogspot.com.

Brian