"I n 2017, HMCS Chicoutimi undertook a dangerous and difficult assignment. For months, the Canadian submarine operated as part of an international task force enforcing sanctions against North Korea. The mission demanded long stretches of silently listening and watching as ships moved along the coast. From this vantage point, Chicoutimi gathered intelligence on vessels suspected of carrying contraband and cued surface warships to intercept them."
"The risks were real. North Korea's navy had fired at, and even sunk, South Korean naval patrols in these waters. For the Royal Canadian Navy, however, the mission was a vindication. Canada's current submarine force-four boats in total, all bought second-hand from the United Kingdom-has had a troubled history, and none embodied this more than Chicoutimi. In 2004, a fire during her delivery voyage killed one sailor and left the vessel sidelined for years."
"But their replacements are now in sight. We are in the final stages of selecting up to twelve new submarines, the first of which are expected to take to sea next decade. A German Norwegian consortium and a South Korean company are both competing for the contract. Cost estimates depend on which submarine we buy and how we equip it, but figures in the range of $100 billion are being reported."
In 2017 HMCS Chicoutimi operated with an international task force enforcing sanctions against North Korea, conducting long periods of silent surveillance to gather intelligence. North Korea's navy has fired on and even sunk South Korean patrols in the area. Canada's current submarine fleet comprises four Victoria-class boats bought second-hand from the United Kingdom and has had a troubled history, including a 2004 delivery-voyage fire that killed one sailor and sidelined Chicoutimi for years. Canada is finalizing a selection of up to twelve new submarines from competing German-Norwegian and South Korean bidders, with reported lifecycle costs of roughly $100 billion. The new boats will be capable of launching long-range land-attack cruise missiles, a capability previously absent from Canada's torpedo-only fleet.
Read at The Walrus
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]