Q-433 – Victoria Class Submarines

Inquiry of Ministry

Prepare in English and French marking "Original Text" or "Translation"

Question

With regard to the Victoria Class Submarines, since 2008 and, broken down by year, except for (f), (g), (l), (m), and (o):

(a) how much has the government spent to maintain the fleet;

(b) what are the details of each contract amended, including the (i) vendor, (ii) date, (iii) value of each amendment, (iv) reason for amendment;

(c) what costs have been incurred by the Royal Canadian Navy to run the project office;

(d) what was the cost to conduct independent reviews of the program;

(e) what are the total number of sea days for each boat, broken down by vessel;

(f) what are all risks identified by the government in relation to the upcoming contract tender and the possible award to another company;

(g) what are all benefits and risks identified in relation to extending the current contract by more than one day;

(h) what is the total number of Canadians who have been trained to maintain the submarines under the contract, broken by contractor;

(i) how much was spent on transporting submarines from the east coast to the west coast and back;

(j) how much was spent on submarine spares, broken down by vendor;

(k) how many Canadian suppliers have been created to support the VISSC program, broken down by region and name;

(l) what percentage of the current supply base is outside of Canada;

(m) what are the risks related to accessing support and spares for the Victoria Class Submarines (i) presently, (ii) between 2023 and 2040, and proposed mitigation step for each by the builder and by Canada;

(n) what is the total value of subcontracts awarded to Seaspan and Victoria Shipyards, broken down by the number of workers; and

(o) who maintains the IP for the Victoria Class Submarines and what are the risks related to Intellectual Property for this orphan class submarine?

Reply (original text)

The Royal Canadian Navy’s four Victoria-class submarines – HMCS CHICOUTIMI, HMCS WINDSOR, HMCS VICTORIA, and HMCS CORNER BROOK – are among Canada’s most strategic assets for conducting surveillance of Canadian and international waters. The Submarine Force’s wide-reaching capabilities are also invaluable in meeting Canada’s international objectives and supporting NATO Allies.

Part c)

The Project Management Office for the Victoria-class submarines is responsible for developing and delivering maintenance and modernization projects associated with the fleet.

The Project Management Office for the Victoria-class submarines is comprised of multiple government stakeholders such as National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada. The project office is led by National Defence through the Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel).

Within National Defence, the Royal Canadian Navy plays a supporting role to the project office for the Victoria-class submarines by defining the strategic environment, identifying operational requirements, and developing business cases for maintenance and service projects.

National Defence searched its Defence Resource Management System for expenditures incurred by the Royal Canadian Navy in support of project management for the Victoria-class submarines since 2008, and found $6,258,632 in expenditures.

These expenditures were for travel and activities in support of life extension and modernization work of the Victoria-class submarines which included conducting studies, contracting technical assistance and consulting services, and engaging with government stakeholders, industry partners, and allies. Expenditures are broken down per year in the table below.

Victoria-class submarine costs incurred by the Royal Canadian Navy^{Footnote 1 Footnote 2}

• 2010: $64,342
• 2011: $510,313
• 2012: $318,721
• 2013: $1,222,423
• 2014: $39,121
• 2016: $11,260
• 2017: $19,958
• 2018: $3,225
• 2019: $1,741,295
• 2020: $995,096
• 2021: $1,332,879

Part e)

Submarines operate in an unforgiving environment. This requires a rigorous materiel certification process to ensure the safety of the crew and the submarines.

As is true of any class of submarine, the Victoria-class submarines achieve effective fleet capability and material certification through regular and cyclical maintenance periods which form an essential element of the operational cycle of the submarines.

In 2018, Canada’s submarine fleet entered a planned period of rest, reconstitution, and maintenance designed to transition the fleet into a more sustainable maintenance cadence, where submarines are operational for nine years, followed by a three-year deep maintenance period.

This transition necessitated additional maintenance activities which resulted in longer maintenance periods for the Victoria-class submarines. These longer maintenance periods also created the opportunity to modernize and upgrade these vessels, ensuring that the Royal Canadian Navy is able to patrol Canada’s maritime borders and conduct operations abroad, now and in the future.

Maintenance program delays unexpectedly extended these periods into 2020. Additionally, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has furthered these delays. The dockyards were able to resume work at a reduced pace by mid-June 2020 under safe and secure conditions.

National Defence is making significant progress in the maintenance schedule of its Victoria-class submarine force. The breakdown is as follows:

• HMCS VICTORIA has completed its maintenance period in 2020 and is now conducting at-sea trials in preparation for future operations.
• HMCS WINDSOR has completed its maintenance period in 2021, and is now conducting at-sea trials in preparation for future operations.
• HMCS CHICOUTIMI entered a scheduled Transitional Docking Work Period in 2019, after spending a total deployment of 197 days away from home in support of Operation PROJECTION. The intent is to return HMCS CHICOUTIMI to sea in 2022.
• HMCS CORNER BROOK has undergone a series of maintenance activities outside of its regular operational cycle since 2012. HMCS CORNER BROOK entered a maintenance period in 2012 following a grounding incident in 2011, which required extensive repairs of the submarine’s hull. This work period also included a refresh and modernization of a number of onboard systems. The vessel required additional work, after a fire broke out during maintenance in 2019. The maintenance period was further extended in 2020 because of accidental damage to a ballast tank during contractor-led testing. All significant structural damage to the ballast tank was repaired. Existing structures will be monitored and risk mitigation measures will be implemented depending on the operational use of the submarine. The submarine will be fully mission capable and is expected to return to sea for sea trials in November 2021.

Details of the number of days spent at sea since 2008 for the HMCS VICTORIA, HMCS WINDSOR, HMCS CORNER BROOK and HMCS CHICOUTIMI are provided in the table below.