Posted on 10/14/2004 3:56:33 PM PDT by neverdem
Future of Four-Vessel Underwater Fleet, Bought From Britain, Now in Question
TORONTO, Oct. 13 -- With a Canadian flag and white officer's cap on his coffin, navy Lt. Chris Saunders was buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday, the casualty of a frightening submarine fire at sea that threatened both the crew of the sub and the future of Canada's submarine fleet.
Saunders, the first Canadian sailor to die in service in 49 years, was found lying on the floor in the blackened hold of the HMCS Chicoutimi, minutes after an electrical fire filled the vessel with acrid smoke and cut power and engines on the submarine's maiden voyage under the Canadian flag last week.
The boat pitched and rolled for five days in a North Sea gale off the coast of Ireland as Canadians followed the rescue efforts, with questions mounting over the wisdom of trying to keep the country's four-vessel underwater fleet. Canada's defense minister on Tuesday ordered the navy's three other submarines to dock until the cause of the fire was discovered.
Saunders, 32, the father of two young boys, "died as a hero, one who gave his life for his friends," chaplain John Finlayson said at the service.
Canada's navy officers are defending the acquisition of the four diesel submarines from Britain in 1998 against complaints that the country had gotten the equivalent of used-car lemons. The process of fitting the subs for sea already has run three years and $150 million more than expected, at a time when the Canadian military is stretched by peacekeeping missions and U.S. pressures after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Canada has a small military -- about 53,000 service members, compared with 1.4 million Americans on active duty. The Canadian navy includes 12 frigates, four destroyers and about 10,000...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Canada has allowed their military to fall into such disrepair they are a joke. Canada which at one time had a brilliant military to be proud of , and now has only a memory of their lost greatness. Damned shame. Elect Kerry and we will be the same in 4 years and burdened with ICC and Kyoto to boot.
Fair winds and following seas Lt. Saunders.
May God bring peace to your soul.
We still have a great military ... small as it is. The troops can do wonders with what little they have. The only joke here is the libs and their cronies.
I hate to disagree , but buying 3 submarines, used , from the UK isnt the way to send sailors to sea.
Orders come from above where generals are essentially politicians. What are the submariners and their captains supposed to do, refuse to follow said orders? I lay the blame squarely on liberals and their higher ranking suits/pawns in the military.
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