Navy commander defends submarine upgrades

OTTAWA The head of the navy says the country needs submarines to know what is happening beneath the waves around Canada — though he won’t say if foreign subs are actually poking around Canadian waters.

The Trudeau government’s new defence policy includes a plan to extend the lives of the navy’s four submarines so they can sail into the 2030s, which sources say will cost upwards of $2.5 billion.

Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd says that investment is necessary, as having a submarine is the best way to spot others that may be approaching or have even entered Canadian waters, or those of its NATO allies.

“It’s just like airspace. You want to know what’s operating in your airspace. You want to know what’s approaching your airspace. You want to know what’s taking place in your airspace,” he said in an interview.

“If you want to know where submarines are operating, when they’re operating, how they’re operating, submarines allow you the opportunity.”

He said the fact that foreign countries are building submarines faster than most other weapons, particularly in Asia, only underscores their recognized importance by militaries around the world.

But Lloyd won’t say whether Russia, China or any other country have actually been operating in or around Canadian waters, or those of its closest allies, citing the need for secrecy.

Such silence is not new, but it does underscore what defence experts say has been a real challenge in proving repeated government and military assertions about the need for submarines.

It also contrasts with the public confirmations from the U.S. and Canadian militaries whenever Russian bombers and other aircraft are detected and intercepted near North American airspace.

And the fact officials are reluctant to talk about what the vessels are actually doing means breakdowns and other problems have dominated the news.

Recently, there were reports of a battery problem on board HMCS Chicoutimi, followed by the sub being struck by another naval vessel while docked at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, B.C. last week.

Lloyd says the sub fleet has turned a corner and started conducting operations, which includes participating in recent NATO training exercises and intercepting drug shipments around Central America.

“It’s unfortunate we had some issues,” he said of the vessels, which were purchased used from Britain in 1998.

“But we’re putting that in our rearview mirror and we’re looking forward to getting Chicoutimi to sea so we have both an East Coast and a West Coast boat conducting operations going forward.”