Does the RN or Norway have a DSRV ?
from CTV.ca
Canadian sub calls for help off coast of Ireland
CTV.ca News Staff
A Canadian submarine off the coast of Ireland has made a call for assistance after a fire broke out on board. The British Royal Navy is responding.
The vessel has been identified as a diesel-electric patrolling sub, HMCS Chicoutimi, with 56 people aboard.
It appears there is a fire on board, Neil Smith of the Royal Air Force’s Rescue Centre, told CTV Newsnet.
“There are reports of three people suffering from smoke inhalation,” Smith said.
He added that it’s not known what caused the fire or what damage, if any, the ship has sustained.
Smith said the Royal Navy has a Sea King helicopter and a tanker on route to lend assistance. The Royal Navy is also in the process of scrambling a frigate as well to the site.
The Canadian navy only recently took possession of Chicoutimi and three other Victoria-class submarines from the British navy. The submarines were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A renaming ceremony was held just this past Saturday in Scotland, as the submarine changed its name from HMS Upholder to HMCS Chicoutimi.
The Chicoutimi was on its way to Halifax and was due to arrive in Halifax harbour Oct. 18. It would then begin patrolling the East Coast.
Another of the submarines bought at the same time, HMCS Victoria, is currently testing its torpedo system on the West Coast. A third vessel, HMCS Corner Brook, is undergoing work in Halifax. The fourth craft is HMCS Windsor.
The British navy mothballed the subs in 1994 when they decided to go with an all-nuclear submarine force.
Canada agreed to buy the vessels in 1998 to replace three Oberon class boats. But shortly after Canada took possession, cracks were found in key valves on the subs.
Repairs and tests to certify the boats safe to dive took longer than expected, putting the “Canadianization process” about three years behind schedule.
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