HMCS Chicoutimi Expected to Return to Sea by Year-End

By: David Pugliese, Defence Watch

The Victoria-class submarine HMCS Windsor, as outlined in a previous Defence Watch post, will be taking part in Exercise Cutlass Fury, expected in mid-September.

Another sub, HMCS Corner Brook, is in deep maintenance.

The Royal Canadian Navy is continuing to deal with problems with welds on the remaining subs, HMCS Victoria and HMCS Chicoutimi, Vice Admiral Ron Lloyd, head of the RCN, told Defence Watch.

A February inspection of 344 welds on HMCS Chicoutimi showed 30 needed immediate repair, according to the Times Colonist newspaper. The work is being done under warranty by Babcock Canada. Also to be inspected are 325 welds on HMCS Victoria.

“The contractor has taken on and has dealt with this head on, and he’s going to include it as warranty work,” Lloyd told Defence Watch. “And they’re working full out in terms of rectifying this shortcoming.”


“Our goal is to have Chicoutimi at sea by the end of the year, looking to employ her more fulsomely in 2017,” Lloyd explained. “And then once we’ve got Chicoutimi back to sea, we’ll start focusing our attention on HMCS Victoria.”