Naval base gets sonar upgrade

State-of-the-art system to detect submarines worth $3.8 million

The capital region's military sector received another boost Wednesday with the announcement that a new $3.8-million facility will be built at CFB Esquimalt to maintain the navy's submarine-detecting sonar system.

The facility will replace an aging building where work on the Canadian Towed Array Sonar System -CANTASS -is carried out for use in patrol frigates and DDH-class destroyers.

"Because the facility will be newer and state of the art, there will be other functions they'll be able to do in the facility as well," said Capt. Craig Baines, base commander at CFB Esquimalt. "But the primary function of it will to maintain these towed-array systems."

The contract for the project has gone to the Victoria branch of Ledcor Construction, said Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Gary Lunn, who represented Defence Minister Peter MacKay at the funding announcement.

"Construction is expected to begin next month and should be completed by April next year," Lunn said.

Twenty-one new construction jobs will be created.

Baines said the 1,600square-metre building project is part of a larger effort at the base to consolidate and modernize the Fleet Maintenance Facility.

He pointed out that the Canadian navy just celebrated its centennial, which, he said, is a great source of pride but also an indication that some of the base facilities are aging and out of date.

"As a result, we're in that predicament where we need to renew our infrastructure here on the base.

So for me, as the base commander, it's absolutely fantastic news to be able to join in this announcement," said Baines.

CANTASS is important for navy ships, said Baines, who described it as "one of the critical systems on board that increases our capability against foreign submarines."

The system trails behind ships like a big hose, and is made up of a series of hydrophones inside a sheath. Each system has 20 12-metre modules towed behind a 1,525-metre cable.

"It's a pretty high-level piece of technology and requires a lot of maintenance," Lunn said.

CANTASS is refined enough for technicians to not only ascertain what types of vessels are in the water, but also, in some instances, detect the identities of individual vessels.

The CANTASS announcement followed Tuesday's announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper of a $155-million facility for nine new CH148 Cyclone helicopters at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in North Saanich.

Other recent project announcements at CFB Esquimalt include one last September for a new hazmat facility, and another in December for a new base firehall and emergencyresponse centre.

Lunn said it is all part of a national strategy for improving military sites.

"The strategy commits to replacing or refurbishing 25 per cent of defence infrastructure over the next 10 years and 50 per cent of defence infrastructure over the next 20," he said.