HMCS Chicoutimi (SSK 879)
HMCS Chicoutimi preparing to conduct camber dive, April 2014
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
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| Name: | Upholder |
| Builder: | VSEL, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Laid down: | February 1983 |
| Launched: | 2 December 1986 |
| Commissioned: | 7 December 1990 |
| Decommissioned: | 29 April 1994 |
| Identification: | Pennant number S40 |
| Fate: | Transferred to Canada |
| Badge: | .gif) |
 Canada
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| Name: | Chicoutimi |
| Acquired: | 1998 |
| Commissioned: | 3 September 2015 |
| Identification: | Hull number SSK 879 |
| Motto: | Maître du Domaine |
| Honours and awards: |
Atlantic, 1941–44 |
| Status: | in active service |
| Badge: | .jpg) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Upholder/Victoria-class submarine |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 230 ft 7 in (70.28 m) |
| Beam: | 23 ft 7 in (7.19 m) |
| Draught: | 24 ft 11 in (7.59 m) |
| Speed: |
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| Complement: | 48 officers and crew, plus 7 trainees |
| Armament: |
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HMCS Chicoutimi is a Victoria-class long-range hunter-killer (SSK) submarine of the Royal Canadian Navy, originally built and operated by the Royal Navy as HMS Upholder. Shortly after being handed over by the United Kingdom to Canada she was involved in a partial flooding incident which resulted in a fire at sea. The incident sparked a fierce debate over the value of the purchase of this group of second-hand vessels, as well as the handover inspection process. The accident was later attributed to an error in operational procedure. The submarine was repaired and entered Canadian service in 2015.
As built the Upholder/Victoria class was designed as a replacement for the Oberon class for use as hunter-killer and training subs. The submarines, which have a single-skinned, teardrop-shaped hull, displace 2,220 long tons (2,260 t) surfaced and 2,455 long tons (2,494 t) submerged. They are 230 feet 7 inches (70.3 m) long overall with a beam of 25 feet 0 inches (7.6 m) and a draught of 17 feet 8 inches (5.4 m).
The submarines are powered by a one shaft diesel-electric system. They are equipped with two Paxman Valenta 1600 RPS SZ diesel engines each driving a 1.4-megawatt (1,900 hp) GEC electric alternator with two 120-cell chloride batteries. The batteries have a 90-hour endurance at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph). The ship is propelled by a 4.028-megawatt (5,402 hp) GEC dual armature electric motor turning a seven-blade fixed pitch propeller. They have a 200-long-ton (200 t) diesel capacity. This gives the subs a maximum speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface and 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) submerged. They have a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) and 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at snorting depth. They have a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). The class has a reported dive depth of over 650 feet (200 m).
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Wikipedia