Navy technicians caused "catastrophic damage" to one of the Canada's trouble-plagued submarines two years ago, a Halifax newspaper says.
HMCS Victoria, seen here in 2003, must be refitted with older electrical equipment at a cost of $200,000. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)
INDEPTH: CANADA'S SUBMARINES
The technicians blew out the electrical system when they hooked up HMCS Victoria, a boat designed in the 1960s, to a modern electrical generator, The Halifax Chronicle-Herald reported Saturday.
"Attempts to use a DC [direct current] feed … caused catastrophic damage to certain onboard filters and power supply units," the Chronicle-Herald reported, quoting recently released military documents about the incident, which occurred in British Columbia.
RELATED: Chicoutimi repairs delayed four years
The navy is now spending about $200,000 to buy old electrical equipment that mirrors the original equipment found on the submarine.
Victoria is slated to come out of dry dock next spring, about one year behind schedule. It will be operational in early 2009.
The Victoria is one of four Upholder-class submarines that Canada bought from the British navy in 1998 for $891 million.
The deal was considered good at the time, but the fleet has been plagued with problems ever since. There have been serious electrical problems, rust and general deterioration in the submarines, which had sat mothballed in salt water for the previous four years.
Only one boat, Halifax-based HMCS Windsor, has gone to sea lately.
HMCS Chicoutimi caught fire off Scotland on its maiden voyage in 2004, resulting in the death of Lieut. Chris Saunders. It won’t be ready for sea until about 2012.
Its sister ship, HMCS Corner Brook, hasn't left Halifax since April 2004. It won't start sea trials until this summer.