Problemen rondom de Canadese onderzeeboten

[Lex]

Aangezien er reeds meerdere berchten waren over dit onderwerp, zijn deze bijeengevoegd in dit topic.

Lex
Algeheel beheerder

[Zeewier]

BYERS AND WEBB
Canada's submarine fleet never worked. It's time to stop ignoring the problem


Most Canadians know the sad story of Canada's second-hand submarines. Purchased from Britain in 1998 for a suspiciously low price, the four vessels have spent most of the last fifteen years being refitted and repaired.

What most Canadians do not know is that the "Victoria-class" submarines are now entering the last decade of their service life. And since Canadian naval procurements typically take ten to fifteen years, Canada's submarine program is destined to splutter to a stop – unless, as our new report recommends, the procurement of replacements is initiated forthwith.

The problems began in 1994, after the British decommissioned the submarines but left them in saltwater. The vessels languished for four years awaiting a buyer, and another two to six years before Canada actually took possession of them. They suffered serious corrosion and, to this day, the diving depth of HMCS Windsor is restricted because of rust damage to her hull.

In 2004, while HMCS Chicoutimi was en route to Canada, a fire broke out on board, leading to one death. The cause of the fire was seawater entering through an open hatch, which caused electrical short. The short occurred because the affected wiring had just one layer of waterproof sealant, instead of the three layers required by the construction specs.

That same year, a maintenance error destroyed the electrical system on HMCS Victoria. After the accident, the Halifax Chronicle Herald reported that the Navy spent "about $200,000 to buy old technology that mirrors what the sub's British builders used," equipment that one of the Navy's own "electrical technologists" said "probably goes back to the '60s." The vessel spent six years undergoing repairs.

Last year, HMCS Windsor concluded a refit that was initially scheduled to take two years, but took five. Documents obtained by the CBC reveal the reason for the delay: "Every system ... has major problems, ... including bad welds in the hull, broken torpedo tubes, a faulty rudder and tiles on the side of the sub that continually fall off."

Then, last December, a defect was found in one of HMCS Windsor's two diesel engines. The CBC reported that, as a result, the vessel's diving depth was "severely restricted" and the Navy "forced to withdraw the sub from planned exercises off the southern U.S. coast."

Publicly, the Navy insists the submarines can be kept in service until 2030. Behind closed hatches, the admirals must know better. They must be desperate to replace a damaged and unreliable fleet.

In 2006, the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence wrote: "The Victoria-class submarines are approaching their mid-life point. As soon as the submarines are fully operationally ready, planning for their mid-life refits and eventual replacement should begin."

In 2010, the Department of National Defence produced a strategic plan, Horizon 2050, that anticipated "the possible re-emergence of inter-state maritime armed conflict ... including the possibility that certain states will seek to deny others access to their maritime approaches." It warned that: "Some adversaries will have the ability to employ more sophisticated area denial capabilities ... using 'high-end' conventional or asymmetric capabilities such as advanced missiles or submarines."

That same year, a briefing note prepared for the Chief of the Defence Staff argued for new submarines because "in the event of global tensions these relatively cheap assets will counter projection of power and hinder freedom of movement and action."

When Defence Minister Peter MacKay was asked, in October 2011, whether the government might look at replacing Canada's current submarines, he replied that submarines provide a "very important capability for the Canadian Forces."

Yet curiously enough, there is no mention of submarines in the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, which extends to 2041 and foresees the expenditure of $33-billion on dozens of surface vessels.

The omission cannot be excused on the basis that any new submarines would be built outside Canada and therefore fall outside the scope of the shipbuilding strategy. For two of the available options – the French-designed Scorpene and the German-designed U-214 – are already being built in countries that have purchased them.

But there are three possible explanations. First, the Harper government has already decided to acquire new submarines, and is keeping the decision quiet because of the billions of dollars that would cost.

Second, the government has decided to terminate Canada's submarine program when the Victoria-class vessels reach the end of their service lives, and is keeping that decision quiet because of the billions of dollars it has already spent trying to rescue a failed procurement.

The third and most likely explanation is gross mismanagement of the file. And if that is the case, the lack of a plan will result in the end of Canada's submarine program – through neglect and obsolescence, rather than design.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/canadas-submarine-fleet-never-worked-its-time-to-stop-ignoring-the-problem/article12468338/

[Zeewier]

De sloop hadden ze al lang geleden moeten doen. Maak me verder wel zorgen of hun OZD blijft bestaan.

Canada's useless submarines should be scrapped, say think tanks

HMCS Windsor, one of Canada's Victoria-class submarines, is returned to the waters of Halifax harbour on April 11, 2012 after a five-year refit.
Photograph by: Andrew Vaughan , THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — A pair of think-tanks say the Harper government should either announce plans to scrap its glitch-plagued submarine fleet — or begin the process of replacing them before any more tax dollars are wasted.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Rideau Institute say the Victoria-class submarines, purchased second-hand from Britain in the late 1990s, are within a decade of ending their service life, and have never lived up to expectations.

A report written by defence and law academic Michael Byers and researcher Stewart Webb asks whether Canada, bordered on three sides by oceans, even needs submarines.

"I don't see a strong case for Canada to require submarines," Byers said Tuesday during the report's release on Parliament Hill.

"We remain open-minded. If the government can come back with a convincing case, we will look at it."

ARGUMENTS CALLED WEAK

All of the public arguments made for sticking with the troubled program, including covert operations against drug-smuggling ships, "don't hold water," Byers said.

The stealth coastal surveillance aspects of subs are rapidly being overtaken by unmanned aerial vehicle technology, Byers added.

The national shipbuilding strategy is silent on whether the Conservative government intends to replace the current submarine fleet, something Byers says means either that the decision has been made, or that the file is being horribly mismanaged.

Almost 15 years after it was acquired by the Chretien government, HMCS Victoria fired its first torpedo last year and was declared fully operational by the navy.

The three boats, including HMCS Chicoutimi, which suffered severe damage in a 2004 electrical fire, are in various states of overhaul, upgrade and limited operations.

GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD?

"The question needs to be posed: Are we throwing good money after bad? Is there a strong case for maintaining a submarine capability, and if not, isn't it time to wake up?" Byers said.

The former Liberal government originally set aside $895 million for the purchase and activation of the boats, but the defence department subsequently has spent nearly double the amount. In addition, the Harper government in 2008 approved a 15-year, $1.5-billion support and refit contract for the submarines.

The outgoing commander of the navy, Vice-Admiral Paul Maddison, told a Senate committee some months ago that the boats, once all are declared fully operational, would remain service until at least 2030.

FOCUS ON REPLACEMENTS

At the same time, internal briefing records obtained by The Canadian Press last year show defence planners have already turned their attention toward what might replace the current fleet.

Officials made the case to the former chief of defence staff that investing in submarines was prudent because "in the event of global tensions these relatively cheap assets will counter projection of power and hinder freedom of movement and action."

The briefing suggested Canada's next generation of submarines should be sophisticated enough to launch unmanned underwater surveillance robots and fire missiles at shore targets.


http://www.theprovince.com/news/Canada+submarines+much+think+tanks+agree/8510110/story.html

[yelloow]

Als elke keer als wij een kapotte diesel hebben dat in de krant zou staan  Het mag wel in de krant als ze het alledrie wel doen

[Zeewier]

Submarine HMCS Windsor hobbled after $209M refit
Setback leaves Royal Canadian Navy with just one fully operational sub
By Rob Gordon, CBC News Posted: Apr 30, 2013 12:47 PM AT Last Updated: Apr 30, 2013 12:46 PM AT Read 361 comments361
HMCS Windsor is on restricted duties because it has a broken generator. (CBC)

CBC News has learned there is more trouble for Canada's fleet of used British submarines.

The Royal Canadian Navy has confirmed that HMCS Windsor – fresh from a $209 million refit – is unable to perform as expected because of a broken mission-critical diesel generator.

"We have restricted her in range of operations and her endurance," Captain Luc Cassivi, director of Canada's submarine force told CBC in an interview.

That means that the Windsor will only be able to operate in Canadian coastal waters until the diesel generator – a huge 16 cylinder engine – is removed from the submarine and replaced.

The Windsor has a second diesel generator which is still working. The diesel generators are used to charge the batteries that allow the submarine to operate under water.

Restrictions in place
A source has told CBC that the submarine's diving depth is severely restricted and the navy has been forced to withdraw the sub from planned exercises off the southern U.S. coast.

Capt. Cassivi said he is unable to provide exact details of the restrictions because they are "classified and linked to operational capabilities," but he denies that any exercises have been cancelled.

"It's an unexpected defect, and that is why we are going through the investigative process," said Capt. Cassivi.

The Halifax–based Windsor went back in the water in April, 2012 after a five-year refit designed to bring the submarine up to Canadian standards. The refit was three years behind schedule and until now, the navy has refused to say exactly how much it cost.

Capt. Cassivi confirmed to CBC that the Windsor's five-year refit totalled $209 million. The cost of removing and replacing the diesel generator is not included in the refit price.

"We have a plan for rectification as soon as the parts are available," said Capt. Cassivi.

The submarine should be hauled out of the water in Halifax in late summer and it could take a "few months" to replace the engine, he said.

One operational submarine
Canada purchased the four Victoria-class submarines in 1998 after the British navy declared them surplus. At $750 million, the deal was hailed as a bargain, and at a price far less than buying new submarines.

HMCS Victoria completed its refit last year at about the same $209 million cost as the Windsor, said Capt. Cassivi.

HMCS Chicoutimi's refit is more complicated and expensive because of damage done to the submarine by a fire that killed one sailor on the boat's first voyage under a Canadian flag. The Chicoutimi has been sidelined ever since the 2004 fire but may become operational by the end of the year.

Also, the refit to HMCS Corner Brook is expected to exceed the $200 million-plus price tag because of damage done to the sub's bow when it slammed into the seafloor off British Columbia. The Corner Brook has not gone to sea since its grounding in June 2011.

The unexpected repairs to the Windsor and the resulting restrictions means that the navy has only one fully operational submarine in service. The west coast-based HMCS Victoria – which was discovered to have a large dent in its hull after delivery – is the only submarine capable of firing torpedoes, unrestricted diving and movement.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/04/30/ns-hmcs-windsor-generator.html

[Lex]

Canada's only fully operational submarine hobbled back to CFB Esquimalt after hitting the ocean floor Saturday.
The accident means all four of Canada's subs are not in any shape to sail: HMCS Victoria is back in the water but is undergoing extensive testing, HMCS Windsor is undergoing repair and maintenance in Halifax, and HMCS Chicoutimi, which suffered a fatal fire in 2004, is at VIctoria Shipyards.
Officers on board the HMCS Corner Brook, which was alone deep in the waters of Nootka Sound off the central east coast of Vancouver Island, were being put through their paces during advanced submarine officer training.
The 12-day exercise, scheduled to wrap up Friday, abruptly ended around noon last Saturday following the grounding.
"They brought it to the surface right away, did some safety checks and after discussions they started heading home," said Gerry Pash, Canadian Navy spokesperson.
Two of the 60 sailors on board suffered minor bruising in the accident.
"It's like being in a car and you don't have your seat belt done up. It doesn't take much to get bumped," Pash explained.
Typically a sub carries up to 53 personnel, but HMCS Victoria personnel were on board for refresher training.
The boat arrived back at the base late Sunday night, and Monday morning navy divers entered the water to assess the damage to the sub's hull, said Pash, adding that no diesel fuel leaked out and no water leaked into the vessel.
Still, an investigation will follow.
"That's all going to part of the (military's) Board of Inquiry," Pash explained.
Corner Brook arrived from CFB Halifax in early May to help prepare Victoria personnel for their upcoming return to sea in the fall, before it was to begin an extensive maintenance period at Victoria Shipyards.
It's too soon to tell if Corner Brook will begin that session earlier than planned because of the accident.
"An assessment will be made, decisions will be made as to whether the damage can be repaired," Pash explained, adding that important questions now need answers: "Can she go back and do the training we wanted to do while she was still available to do it?"

By Erin McCracken - Victoria News
Published: June 06, 2011 11:00 AM
Updated: June 06, 2011 11:11 AM