Moving day for Canadian sub "HMCS Chicoutimi"

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http://www.cfra.com/?cat=3&nid=64211

Moving Day for Sub
Josh Pringle
Thursday, April 2, 2009

MP Bill Casey says the Defence Department estimates it will cost between $4 million and $10 million to transport the HMCS Chicoutimi to British Columbia.

The mothballed submarine has been loaded onto a heavy ship for transport from Halifax to BC.

The HMCS Chicoutimi has been out of service since a fire in 2004.

Casey is accusing the government of wasting money by shipping the sub to Victoria instead of doing the work in Halifax.

In 2007, the Federal Government announced a West Coast consortium tentatively won a 15-year, $1.5 billion contract to refurbish Canada's subs.

The HMCS Chicoutimi is scheduled to return to service in 2012.

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"....many officers in the navy

"....many officers in the navy quietly say that they would be very surprised to see it at sea again."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/st ... ax008.html

one photo of HMCS Chicoutimi on a heavy-lift ship in Halifax harbour on April 1.

Dry-docked sub Chicoutimi can be made seaworthy again, admiral says

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A fire that broke out aboard the submarine during a voyage from Scotland to Canada in October 2004 led to the death of Lt. Chris Saunders.

HMCS Chicoutimi was one of four submarines Canada leased from the British Navy in 1998.

Navy officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but at least two experts disagreed with Pile's view.

"It is certainly my opinion that, no, she will not go to sea again," said Peter Kavanagh, a retired submarine captain in Ottawa.

He pointed to the example of Chicoutimi's sister sub, HMCS Victoria, which has been undergoing a retrofit since sailing to B.C. six years ago.

"She still hasn't gone to sea from the time that she went out there. Delay after delay after delay. So the capacity just isn't there, in my opinion. We can say the sky is purple, but it's still blue," Kavanagh said.

A defence analyst at Dalhousie University, who has had financial briefings with military officials, said the navy doesn't appear to have the $100 million or more needed to fix the sub.

"I've had many officers in the navy quietly say that they would be very surprised to see it at sea again," said Dan Middlemiss.

It was unclear when Chicoutimi will leave Halifax.