Canada takes ‘first step’ towards purchase of new submarines

Canada is moving ahead with the purchase of new submarines to replace its aging fleet, as it faces mounting pressure at this year’s NATO summit to spend more on the military. Defence Minister Bill Blair made the announcement Wednesday, as NATO leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, gather in Washington for the annual meeting of the alliance, which is marking its 75th anniversary. Blair said the Canadian Navy is “taking the first step towards the procurement of up to 12″ subs to “covertly detect and deter maritime threats” but provided no details about the cost or timeline, only saying that the request will go out to the industry this fall to look at available options. For years, defence experts have urged the federal government to buy new subs to operate more effectively in the Arctic and defend Canadian sovereignty against increasingly aggressive behaviour from Russia and China. “It’s long overdue. I would argue that this is a significant capability that should have been on the approved list, at least a decade ago,” said former navy Commander Retired Vice-Admiral Mark Norman in an interview with Global News. The Canadian navy has four diesel-powered submarines built in the 1980s, but only one is operational. The new subs will have under-ice capabilities to counter “emerging security threats,” the defence minister said…Source:globalnews.ca/