Navy may be decommissioning four of its ships after decades of service
Posted Sep 19, 2014 10:50:20 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It could be the beginning of the end for a big chunk of Canada’s naval history.
HMCS Athabaskan, Iroquois, Algonquin and Protecteur have been in service since the 1970s, involved in significant war efforts over the years.
But, Dalhousie naval expert, Ken Hansen, said all four of these vessels may be getting decommissioned from the Canadian Navy.
“The big issue is, they are now in such a decrepit state that they have significant problems.”
With no ships ready to take their place, Hansen is left with worries of the Navy’s future.
“The big question I have about this is, will the navy lose these people from its establishment and effectively become a much smaller organization?”
He said the cost to replace the ships would probably be $2.5-billion a piece, and added, “that’s a conservative estimate.”
Halifax-based HMCS Athabaskan recently underwent a $21-million refit, and is currently on patrol in the Caribbean as part of a multi-national campaign against trafficking and organized crime.
HMCS Iroquois was sidelined earlier this year after rust was detected on its hull.
The exact timeline for retiring and disposing of the ships is unclear.
