Posted on 10/05/2004 9:35:29 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
A major rescue effort has been launched off Ireland after a Canadian submarine asked for assistance. The Canadian Defence Force said HMCS Chicoutimi had suffered a mechanical failure and its crew were all safe.
A Royal Air Force Nimrod has been diverted to the area and a search and rescue helicopter from the Royal Navy base in Ayrshire is on its way.
The submarine, which was bought from Britain, is not nuclear-powered or carrying nuclear warheads.
The request for assistance came from the vessel some 100 miles north west of Ireland.
Neil Smith, a spokesman for the Faslane submarine base on the Clyde, said that Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Wave Knight had been turned round and was on its way to the scene.
A Type 23 frigate, HMS Montrose, is being sent from Faslane, accompanied by tug boat support.
"At this moment in time we don't have the exact details," said Mr Smith.
"We are in communication with the people on board.
"We are doing everything we can to assist them, and at this moment in time my colleagues are working hard to make sure that happens as quickly as possible."
Well, since the USN has no conventional subs, the find the Canadian subs come in very handy for ASW training. That is the main reason.
Agreed, Prayer for the safe return of all of gods children!
I suspect this was simply to negate any concern about radioactive leaks.
While the term 'Nimrod' has taken on negative connotations in the modern world, it hasn't always been so. Nimrod was a mighty hunter/man of history. The negative refers to those who sought to emeulate him and fell short. Also sounds cool as a disparaging remark.
They said that the submarine was in distress, not that it was surrendering.
They weren't in the best condition when they arrived in Canada. Not to mention one or both leaked.
I doubt that the Canadians would throw in with Israel and Taiwan in order for the US to re-start making non-nuclear powered subs.
The Kursk had a pool and a sauna. The Canadians could order a skating rink.
Gotcha
The US sub my daddy served on, built in 1944 in WI, is, to the best of my knowledge, still in service ...sold in '73 to Spain!!!
Those old subs got some guts...
If they lose this sub. the Canadian Navy will be cut in half.
We're like stuck underwater eh? Take off and get us some help hosehead.
Here are some more details ...
Link: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1096991616876_92400816/?hub=TopStories
Canadian sub calls for help after fire on board
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian submarine off the coast of Ireland was forced to call for assistance from the British Royal Navy, after a small fire broke out on board.
HMCS Chicoutimi, a diesel-electric patrolling sub, reported a fire on board Tuesday at around 11:15 AT. The fire was extinguished within minutes but filled the vessel with smoke.
"There are reports of three people suffering from smoke inhalation," Neil Smith of the Royal Air Force's Rescue Centre, told CTV Newsnet, noting that the rest of the crew is safe.
He added that it's not known what caused the fire or what damage, if any, the ship has sustained.
Smith said the Royal Navy has a helicopter and a tanker on route to lend assistance. They are also in the process of scrambling a frigate to the site. The sub has surfaced and is awaiting a tug to take it back to shore.
The Canadian navy only recently took possession of the Chicoutimi along with three other Victoria-class submarines from the British navy.
A renaming ceremony was held just this past Saturday in Scotland, as the submarine changed its name from HMS Upholder to HMCS Chicoutimi.
The Chicoutimi was on its way to Halifax and was due to arrive in Halifax harbour Oct. 18. It would then begin patrolling the East Coast.
Another of the submarines bought at the same time, HMCS Victoria, is currently testing its torpedo system on the West Coast. A third vessel, HMCS Corner Brook, is undergoing work in Halifax. The fourth craft is HMCS Windsor.
The incident is just the latest in a string of embarrassing setbacks for the Canadian military surrounding the used subs, which Ottawa bought from Britain at a cost of $750 million.
The submarines were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the British navy mothballed them in 1994, when they decided to go with an all-nuclear submarine force.
Canada agreed to buy the vessels in 1998 to replace three Oberon class boats. But shortly after Canada took possession, cracks were found in key valves on the subs.
Repairs and tests to certify the boats are safe to dive took longer than expected, putting the "Canadianization process" about three years behind schedule.
Gee whizz Freepers, these guys are our neighbors, and they are in trouble.
We should all be praying that the Brits are able to help the Canadians recover their sub safely.
This is not an appropriate thread for political cheap shots.
Not a strategic bomber. The majority of the fleet are maritime patrol variants. Three are fitted out for signals intelligence duities.
Actually, as a Canuck, I don't mind the political cheap shots. It's the ones directed at the military that annoy me.
"canada has a submarine?"
Yes, but no torpedoes.
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