The Canadian Department of National Defence is slated to begin in the coming months its programme to extend the lives of the country's submarine fleet.
The department cited in particular the four Victoria-class submarines that Canada acquired second-hand from Britain in 1998. The four ships have had considerable problems related to their upkeep over the years, compelling the federal government to invest heavily in constant repairs and upgrades.
The programme, which is estimated to cost around C$2 billion (US$1.5 billion) seeks to extend the Victoria-class ships' service lives to allow these to continue to operate into the 2030s.
