If we're not prepared to just give up on Canada's claim to the Arctic, we'd better do something about replacing those four pathetic bathtubs we'll call our submarine fleet.
They have benign and folksy names - HMCS Victoria, Windsor, Corner Brook and Chicoutimi - that reflect places we love. But much havoc lingers beneath, and their performance is an insult to the communities these boats are named after. I have a few alternative suggestions - how about Edsel, Trabant, Vega and Gremlin?
Those British built Victoria-class tubs are among the worst hardware "investments" our hapless former Liberal government ever made. They are an embarrassment to a G8, First-World country that likes to think of itself as a technology leader, with such game-changing inventions as the Blackberry and the Canadarm to its credit.
Back in the 1990s, when the Liberals were cutting and slashing toward budget surpluses, our military took some tough hits. But the Liberals thought they were on to something when the British navy made them an offer they couldn't refuse on these subs, then referred to as the Upholder class. One can only imagine the chortling in London as wide-eyed Canadian politicians salivated over the opportunity to buy "near-new" subs at a discount price of only $750 million Cdn.
As Albertans learned from Kleinera budget zeal, some "savings" can be penny-wise and pound-foolish.
First of all, the subs weren't that new. The four boats debuted from 1990 to 1993. When first commissioned, they were reportedly unable to fire torpedoes. (Why would a sub need that capability?) Within a couple of years, the U.K. government invested $14 million Cdn to repair that problem, but shortly thereafter the subs were mothballed.
Although they are similar in design to nuclear subs, they are powered by conventional diesel and electric motors. They endured numerous teething problems during their development, including a flaw that would allow both the inner door and outer door of the torpedo tube to be open at the same time; flaws in the mainmotor control circuitry (leading to total power loss during trials on one); and failure of the diesel engines, which were actually designed for use in railway locomotives.
Their luck didn't improve much when they fell into Canada's hands. HMCS Victoria was commissioned in 2000, but had to settle into an Esquimalt dock in 2005 for extensive work. It didn't get back on the water until 2011. Windsor joined us in 2003, but has been under the wrench in a Halifax facility since 2007; it's hoped to be back by 2013. Corner Brook also arrived in 2003, but is out of service after an accident in Nootka Sound in 2011. And Chicoutimi? It too languishes in Esquimalt with a hoped-for return in 2013.
Chicoutimi stands out because it was the sub that experienced a fire that led to the death of one sailor in October 2004. Seawater entered through open hatches in rough seas on soaked electrical insulation that was not adequately waterproofed.
(Imagine, after all these years, that Brits haven't figured out waterproofing.)
Enough, already.
Will this embarrassment never end? Word leaked out this week that the naval planners are sharpening their pitch for replacement vessels. Planners say the country will likely need bigger, quieter boats that can perform stealth missions, launch undersea robots and fire guided missiles at shore targets.
Even if that is to fly, the military has to keep this accursed fleet of four boats in operation until the late 2020s. And they're already showing their age.
Initially, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised to end a decade of decline with continuous reinvestment in new equipment. But, as budget deficits grow, the Conservative government, too, is reneging on its promise. By 2014-15, $1.1 billion will be slashed from the roughly $20-billion defence budget. And the government has indicated it will delay the purchase of $3.5-billion in equipment for seven years.
That's bad news for our naval fleet and ultimately for our sovereignty.
Some expenses are quite simply unavoidable. The government should start thinking now about investing in new subs that will replace this McHale's Navy brigade. We can nurse them along for a few more years - but the thought of trying to keep them too long, or worse, not replacing them at all, will cost us as a nation in the long run.
Doug Firby is editor-in-chief and national affairs columnist with Troy Media (troymedia.com).
