s
suBmarIne
12 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 www.vanguardcanada.com
unconventIonaL -
conventIonaL
suBmarIne
by norman Jolin
THE QUEST FOR THE
t
he recently released Canadian
Defence Policy entitled "Strong,
Secure and Engaged" reiterated
the need for Canada's Navy to
be comprised of a balanced fleet of plat-
forms which includes submarines. How-
ever, while it did not specifically mention
a submarine replacement project, it did
commit to modernizing the four Victoria-
class submarines.
Clearly, in this policy, the Government
of Canada has acknowledged the unique
qualities and options a submarine capabil-
ity brings to the defence of the nation, and
the pressing need to maintain this capabil-
ity. The question then becomes when will
a replacement project for these submarines
be announced?
victoria-class
The Victoria-class are now at mid-life
and concerns being voiced over delays
in standing up a replacement project are
fully understandable. However, when
one stands back and looks at submarines
through a strategic Canadian perspective,
then the current policy of Victoria-class
modernization makes some sense. These
submarines have significant potential and
more importantly, the future submarine
that Canada needs does not currently ex-
ist. Let me explain.
Firstly, some background. The four
2400 ton Victoria-class conventionally
powered (diesel-electric) submarines were
purchased used from the UK in the late
1990s under the aegis of what was known
as the Submarine Capability Life Exten-
sion project. A gap-filler vice replacement
for the 2200 ton Oberon-class submarines
that Canada was then operating on were
approaching the end of their service lives.
To some this may seem to be semantics;
it is not. Canada needed to maintain an
ocean-going submarine capability, but
the fiscal realities of the Chretien govern-
ment's deficit reduction programme pre-
cluded the funding of a submarine replace-
ment project at that time.
For a submarine capability to survive,
Canada had to purchase a stop-gap solu-
tion with very limited resources, which it
did by capitalizing on the UK decision to
