Records show only one vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) submarine fleet has been to sea in years, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .The RCN said in an inquiry of ministry tabled in the House of Commons HMCS Windsor has been in operation since 2021 and logged 43 days at sea in 2022. .It did not include an incident in 2022 where Windsor began flooding while on patrol off the Nova Scotia coast and had to return to its home port in Halifax. The Department of National Defence said three sailors had minor injuries. .Figures on the fleet’s performance were tabled at the request of Conservative MP James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake, MB). Bezan asked when it comes to the RCN’s Victoria class submarines, what was the number of sea days each had for the last two years. .HMCS Victoria was last at sea in 2021. HMCS Chicoutimi and Corner Brook have been undergoing repairs for years. .The Canadian Submarine Force acknowledged it was short of sailors. .“The force has been impacted by personnel shortages but remains focused,” said cabinet. .The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) said it “requires 503 personnel to run the submarine capability.”.“From 2019 to 2022, 140 submariners have been recruited,” said the CAF. .“Seventy submariners have successfully completed their basic submarine qualifications to date.”.Records published in November indicate ongoing maintenance and refit costs for Canada’s submarine fleet topped $3 billion. .READ MORE: Canadian submarine repair bill hits $3 billion.“Canada’s four Victoria-class submarines form the core of the Royal Canadian Navy’s underwater surveillance capabilities,” said cabinet. .“Covert, well-armed and capable of patrolling vast distances, these submarines provide support to maritime law enforcement in investigating narcotics trafficking, smuggling and polluting cases as well as conducting domestic and international operations.”
