[PSUBS-MAILIST] Used sub for sale?

[Coalbunny <coalbunny@wyoming.com>]

Not such a bargain.

One-owner sub only used on weekends

Steven Morris
Wednesday October 6, 2004
The Guardian

With due pomp and ceremony the Royal Navy handed over the submarine HMS
Upholder to the Canadians at the weekend. The vessel was renamed HMCS
Chicoutimi - after the city on the edge of Quebec's vast northern wilds
- and the maple leaf flag was hoisted. Then after its final
preparations, it began to chug towards Nova Scotia.

"You just cannot beat the value of having a submarine that belongs to
you, operating in your waters," Rear Admiral Dan McNeil, commander of
Canada's maritime force Atlantic, said. The vessel, one of four diesel
submarines purchased from the Ministry of Defence, began the voyage on
Monday but by yesterday afternoon, it did not look quite such good
value. And it seemed to have little prospect of being in Canadian waters
any time soon.

Chicoutimi was just 120 miles off the coast of Ireland when an
electrical fire broke out, sending smoke pouring through the vessel.

The submarine surfaced and, a little like a new car owner forced to put
in an angry call to the dealer who has sold him a faulty motor, the
captain called for help from the Royal Navy.
Perhaps unlike the archetypal used car dealer, the navy reacted with
speed, dispatching a Sea King helicopter from Prestwick, an RAF Nimrod
from Kinloss, the frigates HMS Montrose and Marlborough and the Royal
Fleet Auxiliary Wave Knight. Tugs were also prepared which may have to
tow the stricken vessel back into harbour.

The deal between the British and Canadian navies over the four
submarines has been beset by difficulties. None of the three already
delivered is in active service and the hand-over of Chicoutimi - the
oldest of the four - was delayed because it was rusty and because it had
been "cannibalised" to get the first three submarines seaworthy.

Canada had seemed to be getting a good deal.

The Victoria class submarines cost £900m to build but were on offer
for a cut-price £244m after Britain decided to use nuclear submarines
only. Chicoutimi was due to sail into Halifax harbour on October 18 and
shortly afterwards begin patrolling Canada's east coast on surveillance
work and to hunt for illegal fishing boats. Now its future is unclear.

The Canadian military was last night refusing to cast blame. A Canadian
forces spokeswoman, Captain Holy Apostoliuk, said three sub mariners
suffered smoke inhalation but were not badly hurt. However, fresh
questions are likely to be asked about the deal, which has already
attracted criticism in Canada.

The MoD and BAE Systems, which refurbished the submarines, were putting
on a brave face.
A spokesman for BAE Systems said it would work with the Canadian navy to
make sure the vessel was made sound.

An MoD spokesman said the sub met "very high Royal Navy safety
standards" when it was handed over. "We don't even know the cause of the
fire yet," said a spokesman.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004






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