Canada seeking new torpedo countermeasures for military submarines
The Canadian navy is on the hunt for a new system to defeat hostile torpedoes as it works to extend the life of its four Victoria-class submarines through the mid-2030s.
In documents published last week, the Department of National Defence and Procurement Canada say advances in sonar technology and torpedo guidance systems have made anti-submarine torpedoes more effective than ever at overcoming decoys and other countermeasures.
Canada's military submarines currently use small, three-inch beacons that have to be manually loaded and launched from either end of the boat to counter a torpedo threat.
There are two types of beacons currently in use; one that creates enough electroacoustic noise to hide the submarine from sonar detection, and another that produces a flurry of false sonar targets in an attempt to exhaust a searching torpedo until it runs out of fuel.
The order to launch the decoys has to be given verbally from the sub's control room to the beacon operator, hindering the crew's ability to respond quickly.
"The lack of integration or remote-control functionality greatly reduces already limited reaction time, decreasing the prospect of surviving a torpedo attack," says Procurement Canada in its request for information from military suppliers.
The goal of the agency and the DND is to eventually provide Canada's four diesel-electric submarines with a launch system that is fitted to the submarine's external hull and can be triggered remotely, according to the request.
LONG-TERM MODERNIZATION PROJECT
Despite the current lack of integration and remote functionality, a National Defence spokesperson says the navy's existing anti-torpedo countermeasures "are adequate to fulfil today’s operational requirements."
"However, given the rapidly evolving technological landscape, an upgraded torpedo countermeasure launch capability project is being included as part of the broader Victoria-class modernization project," said spokesperson Andrew McKelvey.
The long-term submarine modernization project, valued at between $1 billion and $4.99 billion, is intended to extend the life of the submarines though the mid-2030s and is a cornerstone of Canada's defence policy.
The timeline for the torpedo countermeasure replacement project will be determined after the information-request period closes on Aug. 26, McKelvey said.
"Consulting industry early in the process helps establish contracts down the line with improved pricing structures, better definition of requirements, improved timelines and built-in consideration of procurement opportunities," the spokesperson said.
"It will also ensure that we receive the maximum number of bids that meet the necessary technical requirements."
Canada's military submarines are based at Canadian Forces Base Halifax and Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt. The subs can operate globally on deployments that typically last up to two months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
What happens after we die? Most Canadians say an afterlife does exist, survey shows
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.