VICTORIA

Description

SSK VICTORIA CLASS LONG RANGE PATROL SUBMARINES, CANADA The Canadian Maritime Force has four Victoria (formerly Upholder) class diesel-electric submarines - HMCS Victoria (876), HMCS Windsor (877), HMCS Corner Brook (878) and HMCS Chicoutimi (879). The first of class, HMCS Victoria, was commissioned in Halifax in December 2000 and the second, Windsor, in July 2001. Corner Brook was delivered in March 2003. Chicoutimi is scheduled for delivery in May 2004. The Victoria Class replace the decommissioned Oberon Class, the last of which was retired in July 2000.

The UK's Upholder (Type 2400) class submarines were built by Vickers Shipbuilding and launched in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were withdrawn from service in the British Royal Navy in 1994, following a defence review by the UK government. Canada purchased the submarines and a suite of trainers in 1998 and BAE Systems (formerly Vickers Shipbuilding) at Barrow in UK were contracted to refit the submarines. The submarines are being transferred to Halifax in Canada for commissioning.

One submarine, HMCS Victoria, operates in the Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) fleet which has a base at Esquimalt near Victoria in British Columbia. Three submarines will operate within the Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) Fleet based in Halifax base.

The submarines are a central component of each of the two high readiness task groups, the Contingency Task Group which operates on 10 days' readiness for deployment and the National Task Group which operates on 60 days' readiness.

DESIGN

The submarine has a single skin hull constructed of NQ1 high tensile steel. The skin of the submarine is fitted with about 22,000 elastomeric acoustic tiles to reduce the submarine's acoustic signature. The hull is a classical teardrop shape design, 70.3m in length by 7.6m in width and with a depth of hull of 5.5m. The fin or main sail houses a five-man lockout chamber. The submarine's escape and rescue system has been extensively upgraded with additional stowage space for escape stores and an underwater telephone to meet the Canadian Maritime Force requirements. The hull displacement is 2,168t surfaced and 2,455t dived.

The submarine accommodates a crew of 48 including seven officers. There is room for an additional five mission crew, observers or training crew.

WEAPON SYSTEMS

Lockheed Martin Canada, Lockheed Martin Undersea Systems and Northstar Technical Inc (based in St John's Newfoundland) upgraded and installed the submarine's Lockheed Martin Librascope Torpedo Fire Control System (TFCS) to meet the operational requirements of the Canadian Navy. Components from the fire control system of the Oberon submarines were removed and installed. A UHF DAMA satellite communications system has also been fitted.

The submarine has six 533mm (21in) bow torpedo tubes equipped with air pumped discharge systems. The Upholder Class Sub-Harpoon missile firing and mine-laying capabilities have been removed. The torpedo room or weapons storage compartment houses racks for storing up to 18 Gould Mk 48 Mod 4 heavyweight torpedoes. The torpedoes, operating at 40 knots speed, are deployed against targets over a range of 50km. The torpedo range is 38km at speeds up to 55 knots. The torpedoes use active and passive homing to approach the designated target.