ANTIGONISH, N.S. - Ottawa is committed to bringing all four of its Victoria-class submarines into service and isn't considering scrapping the troubled fleet, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Friday.
MacKay was responding to a report that suggested the Privy Council Office and the Prime Minister's Office are weighing the future of the sub program, with options ranging from scraping it altogether, upgrading the boats or buying new ones.
"Scrapping the sub program is not an option,'' MacKay said following a funding announcement in Antigonish.
"We need to have those boats in the water for all kinds of reasons -- Arctic sovereignty, protecting our coastal waters -- and these are good subs, in spite of some of the problems and some of the setbacks.''
The four Victoria-class submarines, which Canada bought used from Britain in 1998, have come under criticism for delays, mounting costs, their limited Arctic capabilities and the perception that the boats are "lemons.''
But despite those problems, and the fact that only one of the subs is fully operation, MacKay insisted he is firmly behind the program.
"I want to see those subs fully operational as soon as possible,'' he said. "The project has always had my support ... and they're going to be a great addition to Canada's navy.''
MacKay asked for recommendations on how to proceed with the program, but said the request was due to financial and legal considerations regarding the bidding process and not because the future of the subs is in doubt.
The submarine program have been beset by problems for years.
A fire aboard HMCS Chicoutimi during its maiden voyage to Canada in October 2004 killed Lt. Chris Saunders and raised questions about the second-hand boats. Chicoutimi has been sitting in dry dock in Halifax since and last year Ottawa said it won't repair the sub until 2010.
HMCS Windsor and HMCS Victoria are both out of commission for upgrades, leaving HMCS Corner Brook as Canada's lone operational sub.
And then there's the Conservative government's new focus on Arctic sovereignty.
The four diesel-electric submarines are only capable of limited operations in the frigid, ice-covered waters of the Far North. Defence officials have said the government may be considering more extensive upgrades or new subs that can operate under the ice for extended periods.
When the Liberals first bought the submarines, they planned to outfit them with an air-independent propulsion system to allow the boats to operate in the Arctic.
But the Defence Department shelved the idea in 2000 in the face of design complications and a projected cost of $300 million.
