Crossing the bridge the other day I spotted one of our Navy’s submarines, surfaced in the basin like a giant black whale. One doesn’t often witness submarines in their natural habitat, them being one of the world’s most secret weapons, so I kept turning my head as I drove over. Then it hit me: that is one of those lousy, decrepit Victoria-class subs we got suckered into buying from the British.
These white elephants have not provided one day of active service 4 years after we bought them, cost the life of one Canadian sailor who died when a fire broke out the first time we used them, and most depressingly of all appear to be in considerably worse condition that the sellers led us to believe. Adding to this malaise, was the wonderful odor of fuel permeating throughout North End Halifax Wednesday, when one of our frigates accidentally dumped its fuel into the harbour.
Keeping our navy capable of defending our maritime sovereignty costs time and a lot of money. Perhaps our imperious government ought to rethink pointless entanglements overseas and extravagant stealth fighters and instead focus on securing our own coasts first. —Cap’n Crunch
This article appears in May 9-15, 2013.
You can’t forgot when the tanker ran into the Irving dry dock, oh and when one of the subs scraped the bottom out west. Then there was the destroyer that slammed the jetty in Cape Breton late last year during a tow after a costly refit that didn’t quite get finished. Then what, about a week ago a trawler slammed a CPF out west, again just after a costly refit.
I guess everybody makes mistakes.
Every Prime Minister since W.W. 2 has had to ignore the 800 lb gorilla in the House of Commons. Geography, population and tax base mean that it is impossible to defend Canada, without involvment in international alliances and mutual defence pacts. Add to that the fact that, while no government has ever been given a mandate by the Canadian electorate to repudiate ALL responsibility for national defence, there have been several who have tried to ignore that reponsibility. Given the Byzantine requirements involved in the acquisition of new equipment to suit the defence priority of the moment, we wind up getting gear that is not suited to the everchanging requirements of a world that has become more unstable since the demise of the late, unlamented U.S.S.R. Of course, when the Government of the day attempts to circumvent it’s own purchasing requirements, it leaves itself open to criticism from a largely military-ignorant media, populace and Opposition.
Personally I’d love to see the same level of proctological investigation given to the Liberals who greenlighted the purchase of our 4 ex British bathtub toys as has been directed at those involved in the F-35. But I’d also like to see a country that can actually form a coherent defence policy AND equip it’s military to carry out THAT policy, AND take care of it’s warriors and their families in the manner which they deserve.
Who do you suppose I should vote for to see that come to pass? *sarcasm alert*
Let’s not forget the Shawinigan Scrapper who cancelled the Sea King replacement helicopters that set the taxpayer back $500 Million.
Juan, you got that right but remember the F-35s were started by guess who? Why the military’s best friend, the Liberals. Virtually all the piss poor procurements have been originated by those “fine” people. The EH-101 cancellation, those beautiful “new” subs, and let’s not forget those funky Iltis jeeps. We got the frigates and Globemasters because of the Tories.
You’re partially right ,Tim. I beleive the acquisition of the C-17’s, Chinooks, LAV-3s and Hercules J’s were greenlighted by Martin, if Rick Hillier’s book is correct. Please feel free to ceorrct me, anybody, because I don’t know for certain. Pretty sure Martin didn’t go through that same exhaustive competitive tender process to get them, either. He bought off the shelf because our troops were in a ground war and needed the kit.
Baz – an entire book could be written about the childish stupidity of Jean Poutine and the EH-101 cancellation. Again, the same crusading journalists and opposition pols who are decrying the F-35 were strangely silent about the wisdom of cancelling 1 airframe that would have replaced 2 different airframes (itself an impressive economy in terms of training, spare parts, maintenance etc) I’d love to see a journalist tot up the entire cost of that decision in terms of contract penalties and the cost of keeping the Sea Kings flying. We may actually wind sending S.A.R. crews out in refurbished EH 101s that were orignally planned as Presidential Transports, that the Americans unloaded on us, to use as spare parts for our Cormorants. (itself a Search and Rescue variant of the original EH -101). We’ll also be sending our naval aviators out in a slightly modified version of a civilian helicopter designed to ferry crews out to oil rigs, when the Cyclone finally comes on line.
Just. Fucking. Brilliant.
Yes yes yes… it’s a great tragedy and OLD NEWS…
You meant to bitch about the fuel spill, right? That’s (new) news…
I don’t think Hitler had procurement issues when he ran Germany.
…and his submarines actually worked, dammit.
http://www.perelis.se/wp-content/uploads/2…
Juan, you may be correct but we were at war. There was little choice. Do you think the military would have gotten anything if we weren’t?
Nope. >: (.
But Martin did at least show that he was prepared to reverse the terminal rust-out that was Poutine’s legacy. Gotta give credit where it’s due.
I’m glad that fat cock Axworthy never got close being P.M.
He’d have made our “Traditional Canadian Peacekeepers”
(sarcasm is implicit)
pay their own way to and from whatever shithole he decided need blue berets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXVZq98cUgA
I’ve heard that we have four submarines and one periscope and that one periscope gets shipped back and forth from the east to the west coast depending on which sub needs it.
Urban myth?
Urban Myth, Reg.
Each Victoria class boat has a Barr & Stroud CK-35 Search periscope and a CH-85 Attack periscope. In addition, the CK-35 is equipped with a Condor SEASEARCH II electronic sensor, to detect hostile radar. In the endless litany of troubles that have plagued these lemons, periscopes have never been mentioned
My favorite Navy Urban Myth dates back to the 80’s when a Saguenay told me that deep in the bowels of the supply depot at Stad (picture the warehouse at the end of Raiders) was a crated boiler with H.M.S. Hood stenciled on the sides. Supposedly it was cannibalized on a regular basis to keep our St. Laurent class destroyers at sea.
Another Navy myth – Nelson really was gay when he asked Hardy to kiss him?
It was when he asked Hardy “Now, put your hand on my thigh” that suspicions really began to form.
And Emma Hamilton? – total shemale. Proof – Glenda Jackson played him in 1973’s “The Nelson Affair”
Poke out me eye and cut orf me arm if I’m telling great fuckoff porkpies.
the shared periscope is urban myth, but the screen doors are real. they put them on in summer, or year ’round if stationed in the tropics. keeps the little fishies out of the sub.
Though when the 280s came out our sailors convinced the Yanks it could do a 360 roll. But hey that’s not hard to do with Yanks.
There was one field exercise where weapons were short and improvisation was needed. In one encounter a soldier went “Bang, you’re dead” to another soldier but that soldier continue to walk towards him. The first soldier goes “Rat-a-tat-tat, you’re dead” but the second soldier continues towards him. The first soldier says “Hey I shot you multiple times and you aren’t falling down. Play the game right”. The second soldier says “I am playing right” and as he gets closer he’s saying “Tankity, tankity, tankity”.
tankity tankity. watching Jericho on Netflix & they just acquired a tank. heh heh . now I want one
Whew! I’m glad to hear that about the periscopes, thought we’d hit an alltime low there.
Another urban myth? Most merchandise at the dollar store is radioactive because most of the recycled metals and plastics in China come nuclear power plants. : )
A NON Urban Myth, the vast majority of the NDP Cabinet are dumb as dirt.
Just watched W5 and they interviewed Disco Dave Wilson about prescription drug abuse in the Valley, never in the field of human endeavour has so much shit been spoken by so few to baffle so many.