| |
VICTORIA Class(SSK) patrol submarine |
| VICTORIA Class | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Characteristics:
These subs were Sub-Harpoon capable in British service, but this weapon is not being purchased by the Canadian Navy.  Ships:
Notes: On April 6,1998, the Canadian Government announced that four
ex-Royal
Navy submarines of the UPHOLDER class were purchased from Britain (in
an
8 year lease-to-buy schedule). CHICOUTIMI was accepted by the Canadian Navy in Faslane,
Scotland, in a
ceremony in earler October, and was underway to Canada when she
suffered
a serious fire just forward of the bridge. The crew were able to
extinguish
the fire, but several crew members suffered injury from smoke
inhalation,
and one officer later died of his injuries. CHICOUTIMI was towed back
to
Faslane. On October 12, the Navy ordered that all the subs be returned
to port
indefinately while the investigation into the fire on CHICOUTIMI
continues. It was originally projected that they would be fitted with
fuel cell
technology (Air Independent Propulsion, or AIP) produced by Ballard
Canada. This would have enabled them to remain submerged for extended
periods, possibly allowing
them limited under-ice capabilities. However, this now seems unlikely. VICTORIA VICTORIA arrived in Halifax in late October, 2000, and has
since been
refitted considerably. She has been commissioned into the Canadian
Navy, and travelled to Esquimalt, British Columbia, where further work
has been done. VICTORIA has been in and out of refit since arriving on
the West Coast, intermixed with short periods of service. WINDSOR WINDSOR has been commissioned, and after completing a portion
of
the refit process, she saw some active service (minus several
capabilities, including that to fire torpedos) to aid in the training
of submariners. During this time, she participated in several cruises
including an exercise with the US Navy. She entered an extended refit
period in 2007 that is expected to last into 2009. CORNER
BROOK CORNER BROOK was in refit in 2006, but has since returned to
active service interspersed with several maintenance periods. She still
does not have the capability of firing torpedoes. She has participated
in several exercises, including at least one with the US Navy. CHICOUTIMI CHICOUTIMI suffered the aforementioned fire in October 2004,
and did not arrive in Canada until February 2005 when she was
transported on the Eide Transporter.
She entered the graving dock of the Halifax Shipyard in 2005 and
underwent assessment and minor repair and cleanup work during that
time. Upon leaving drydock, she then was laid up at HMC Dockyard for a
period of time until she departed for Esquimalt on the deck of the
semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Dockwise
Tern in April 2009. She arrived in Esqimalt during the last week
of April. In 2010, she is expected to enter an extended refit period
which will return her to service. CHICOUTIMI may have been partially
cannibalized during her layup to keep her sisterships operational. Photos: (click on thumbnail for bigger image)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
