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Victoria class submarine

The Victoria class consists of four diesel-powered Royal Canadian Navy submarines acquired from the Royal Navy (formerly known as the Upholder class) and replacing the old Oberon-class subs. The boats are named after Canadian port cities:

Victoria operates out of Esquimalt, British Columbia and works in the Pacific Ocean, while the remaining boats are based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and work in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.

The boats were originally built by the UK, but saw only brief service before being mothballed in favour of an all nuclear force. They are essentially identical to modern nuclear submarines (with the distinctive nuclear shape and sonar-deflecting tiles) but run on diesel engines instead of nuclear reactors (which limits their range, but conversely makes them quieter and more manoeuvrable). It is foreseen that with the maturity of fuel cell technology the ships will be converted over to that power system, which could allow them to operate at sea almost indefinitely without the problems, real and perceived, of nuclear power.

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