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The future of submarines in Canada's navy

Friday, February 24, 2012 | Categories: News Promo, Past Episodes

The defence minister says Canada's submarine fleet has a "spotty history". Critics would call that the understatement of the past 14 years. The subs Canada bought from Britain, have been submerged in problems. And so today, the debate about scrubbing Canada's subs is resurfacing.

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The future of submarines in Canada's navy - CBC reporter, Rob Gordon

Canada had taken possession of the HMCS Chicoutimi for just three days before a fire broke out in the former British submarine. She and three other subs were purchased at what was believed to be a bargain price. But the costs to keep the Victoria class subs keeps rising. And as a result, the supposedly stealthy weapons have been easy targets -- for comedians. We aired a clip of This Hour has 22 Minutes' poking fun at Canada's underwater sea power.

Since 1998, the Canadian government has pumped more than 1 billion dollars into repairs and retrofits to make the fleet seaworthy and the subs have been in and out of commission for years. In June, HMCS Corner Brook struck the ocean floor near British Columbia. Last week CBC News obtained exclusive pictures of the submarine - showing a gaping hole.

Canada's military downplayed the damage and General Walter Natynczyk was out showing his support for the submarine fleet on Monday.

The navy says almost all of the submarine fleet will be in service by 2013. But some Canadians think it's time to pull the plug. CBC reporter Rob Gordon has been covering this story for years. He was in Halifax.

The future of submarines in Canada's navy - Panel

General Walter Natynczyk and Defense Minister Peter Mackay are hardly alone in believing the submarines are an irreplaceable asset. Some argue the future of Canada's sovereignty depends on undersea power. We heard from Ken Hansen, a resident research fellow with the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Rob Huebert is associate director at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. He was in Calgary. Steven Staples is the President of the Rideau Institute and he was in Ottawa.

This segment was produced by The Current's producer Shannon Higgins.

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