Submariners Association

of Canada-West Newsletter

USS Connecticut

Operation ICEX 2020

Dedicated to our past and present military

members. Thank you for your service.

SAOC WEST Page 2

IN THIS ISSUE:

Page 1 Front page (USS Connecticut)

Page 2 President’s Message & Index

Page 3 SAOC-W Merry Christmas Message

Page 4 Editors Note

Page 5 20th Commissioning Anniversary

Page 6 -7 `HMCS Victoria Returns To Sea

Page 8 HMCS Victoria New Moral Patch

Page 9 HMCS Windsor Prepares To Return To Sea

Page 10 /12 Canadian Submarines Will Return to Sea 2020

Page 13 /14 What’s Next for Bonhomme Richard Warship

Page 15 As Artic Ice Melts

Page 16/19 Navy Subs Back Into The Artic

Page 20/21 Exercise Black Widow 2020

Page 22/23 US Submarines Are Expensive

Page 24 Eternal Patrol MS Tulloch

Page 25 Eternal Patrol Cmdr. Nesbit

Page 26 Eternal Patrol Wyss

Page 27 Eternal Patrol Davidson

Page 28 Eternal Patrol Garneau

Page 29 Executive & Back Cover

The SAOC-W newsletter is produced with acknowledge-

ment & appreciation to the authors of articles, writers

and photographers, stories submitted and photos

sourced . Opinions expressed are not necessarily

those of SAOC-W.

Submariners Association of

Canada-West

3511 Blanchard St.

P. O. Box 48154

Victoria, B. C. V8Z 7H6

web: saocwest.ca

email: saocwest@shaw.ca

The Voice Pipe

Hello Everyone,

Well, the festive season is here and I would like

to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone in

allowing me to be your president of SAOC West

this past year. Sadly, the COVID 19 situation has

played a significant impact on all of our festive

and seasonal functions. However, it must be

stated that everyone’s health and well being is

paramount to all of us and I sincerely hope that

the New Year of 2021 will be one of health, hap-

piness and fortune for all.

Please be safe and with the upcoming inocula-

tions planned, our future may swing in a better

year for the group.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all the

best from my family to yours!

Wade Berglund

President SAOC (W)

778-425-2936

Cover: USS Connecticut see ICEX 2020 article page 16-19

As this challenging and difficult year with Covid is

coming to a close and vaccinations to come in the

New Year there is hope that 2021 will not be as

stressful and worrisome as this year has been.

I hope you will find a way to communicate with

family and friends over the holidays, perhaps

with a zoom chat to make a connection.

Because SAOC-W ‘in person’ meetings had to be

canceled it was decided to host a couple of Zoom

meetings, which gave the members an opportunity

to see each other and chat. It was a nice chance

for members to connect and catch up. Zoom

meetings will likely be continued until in person

meetings can be resumed.

As this is the last issue of 2020 I wanted to take

this opportunity to introduce two new columns I

am planning for our Angles & Dangles newsletter

shipmate’s sea stORies This is an

opportunity for you to share stories, memories,

incidents , challenges , jokes, photos, & tall tales

from times served in the silent service with your

fellow shipmates.

Submariner feature This column

would be for members to share their biography of

their time served in the submarine force.

I look forward to hearing from you and receiving

your submissions to the new columns. I will add a

personal touch and communication with those who

you have shared many hours working with on the

submarine or submarines you served on.

I wish to thank the Executive of the Submariners

Association of Canada-West for the opportunity to

produce the newsletter.

I have been busy researching and finding articles

that would interest the readers and the challenge

of creating artwork to produce a quality newsletter.

I hope you will participate and share your stories

of time served on board so others can rekindle

memories and perhaps have a chuckle or two at

your expense. I hope you have been enjoying the

issues.

To quote Franklin D. Roosevelt “ A smooth sea

never made a skilled sailor”. May 2021 bring you

peace of mind , good health & return to some kind

of normalcy.

Valerie Braunschweig, Editor,

SAOC-West Angles & Dangles Newsletter.

valerieanddick@telus.net

Editors Note:

SAOC WEST Page 4

Commissioning

02 December 2020

Her Majesty’s Canadian Submarine (HMCS) Victoria recently achieved another milestone as part of its ongoing sea trials.

With the diesel electric submarine operating on the surface off Esquimalt, a CH148 Cyclone helicop-ter hovered above to practice transferring equipment and personnel to the sub below – a first for a Victoria-class submarine and this new helicopter.

“This serial allowed both units to update their standard operating procedures for helicopter transfer with this new airframe,” said Captain (Navy) Jean Stéphane Ouellet, Commander Canadian Subma-rine Force.

“The submarine crew gained valuable experience from this interaction.”

Victoria and its 48-person crew returned to sea on September 18 after a five-year hiatus in dry dock where it underwent routine maintenance, repairs and upgrades.

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HMCS Victoria returns to sea stronger than ever with new battery and sonar Navy News / October 22, 2020 By Peter Mallett

“The return of HMCS Victoria to sea marked a significant achievement for the Canadian Submarine Force and its submarine enterprise partners. It is the result of our collective hard work, resilience, determination and dedication,” said Capt(N) Ouellet.

As part of the five-year work period, Victoria received the new BQQ-10 sonar, also used on board United States Navy attack submarines, and a new battery.

“This new state-of-the-art sonar system will radically improve our ability to detect, classify and track quiet warships and submarines. It is a game changer for the class,” said Capt(N) Ouellet.

That return also marked the resumption of Canadian submarine operations following a pause since 2018, when Windsor returned from a Mediterranean deployment.

Eleven additional personnel are embarked on board Victoria for the trials including submariners in training and Sea Training staff.

Personnel from the Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton staff were embarked to conduct specific equipment trials. After conducting trials at sea and damage control exercis-es, Victoria returned alongside to address some issues discovered before continuing with the dive portion of the program.

At-sea trials provide an opportunity to test most major mechanical and combat systems including but not limited to propulsion, steering, sonars, and periscopes. It is also an occasion to re-familiarize the crew with working in a submarine environment as not all evolutions can be simulated alongside or in the trainers.

Victoria also is scheduled to conduct a deep dive to ensure the submarine is watertight and confirm all of its on-board systems are operational at its maximum allowable depth.

The Force Commander also congratulated the crew of Victoria, military and civilian workers from FMF Cape Breton, the Formation Technical Authority, Babcock Canada, Seaspan Victoria Ship Yards, and the Government of Canada’s Director General Maritime Equipment Program for prepar-ing Victoria for its return to sea.

“It is also important to recognize HMCS Chicoutimi and its crew who played a critical role in support-ing Victoria, especially towards the end of the repair work period when the Victoria crew was re-quired to commence its modified quarantine,” added Capt(N) Ouellet.

Those directly involved in the sea trials have been adhering to a COVID-19 quarantine protocol with strict control of who can embark the submarine. It involves in-home quarantine for seven days prior to embarking and COVID-19 testing.

“Returning a submarine to sea is always challenging; however, the COVID-19 pandemic added an additional level of complexity to that process which we had never experienced before,” said Capt(N) Ouellet.

Following completion of the sea trials, the next focus for Victoria will be to train new submariners while contributing to continental defence.

The next major milestone for the Canadian Submarine Force will occur in the coming months with the anticipated return to sea of HMCS Windsor on the East Coast.

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Twenty years ago, the first of four Victoria-Class submarines was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy. It was a cold Dec. 2 day in Halifax when Cdr Bill Woodburn, HMCS Vic-toria’s commanding officer, declared the occa-sion “a great moment in Canadian history and a great navy day.” This year, to celebrate the submarine’s 20th anniversary, a morale patch has been created for Victoria’s submariners to wear on their uniforms starting Jan. 1, 2021. “The idea for the morale patch started last year with our sailors wanting to commemorate the service of everyone who served in Victoria over the last two decades,” said LCdr Eric Isa-belle, Victoria’s current commanding officer. “The design of the patch will also serve as a reminder of Victoria’s previous service as HMS Unseen.” The submarine first served the Royal Navy until it was purchased by Canada in 1998. MS Allan Gauthier, one of Victoria’s Weapons Engineering Technicians, created the patch design. He sketched his idea, and then turned it into a painting before submitting

it to senior leadership for approval. “It’s quite an honour, humbling, and also intriguing to know my artwork has a legacy that will last forever,” said MS Gauthier. “A morale patch is memorabilia that sailors and their families will hold on to forever. I wanted a chance to make something that stands out, something that is unique and completely different.” Central to the patch is shield depicting a heraldic golden lion - a nod to HMS Unseen and its British her-itage - holding Victoria’s crown, which is cen-tral to the submarine’s badge. It is designed like a family crest with the shield surrounded by maple leaves. At the top are Roman numer-als XX denoting 20 years of service; at the bot-tom in a gold ribbon is HMCS Victoria. Patches are intended to boost morale and unit pride. LCdr Isabelle says they are authorized for wear on the right shoulder of naval combat dress so long as they are in good taste, do not violate copyright, and follow specific dress guidelines.

HMCS Victoria legacy celebrated in new morale patch

Peter Mallett , Staff Writer

The Lookout Magazine

SAOC-W Page 8

HMCS WINDSOR PREPARES FOR RETURN TO SEA WITH UPGRADED TORPEDO SYSTEM by RCN | MRC / November 11, 2020

Excitement is building among Her Majes-ty’s Canadian Submarine (HMCS) Windsor’s crew as the submarine wraps up the last phase of its Transitional Docking Work Period (TDWP) and gets set to sail for the first time in two years.

“The closer we get, the more and more ex-cited my crew and I are becoming,” said Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Drew Matheson, Windsor’s Commanding Officer.

Windsor entered the submarine shed in Hal-ifax in October 2018, undergoing deep maintenance work along with modernization upgrades to set the Victoria-class subma-rine on its new operational cycle of nine years of operational availability followed by three years of maintenance.

The two-pronged approach involved work on key pieces of maintenance to fix up the wear and tear from a busy four year sailing period that ended in 2018. That period saw Windsor deployed to Europe multiple times, with participation in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR and TRI-DENT JUNCTURE and more than three months operat-ing in the Mediterranean.

On top of the maintenance and repairs, the boat also underwent capability upgrades, receiving the state-of-the-art Bow Sonar Suite Upgrade.

“This new state-of-the-art sonar system will radically im-prove our ability to detect, classify and track quiet war-ships and submarines. It is a game changer for the class,” said Capt(N) Ouellet.

Windsor also received an overhaul to its weapons sys-tems and will now be armed with the Mark 48 MOD 7AT torpedo, an upgrade from the previous Mark 48 MOD 4M.

“In order to support this torpedo, we had to make signifi-cant upgrades to our weapon handling, our weapon dis-charge and our fire control systems,” LCdr Matheson added.

Like most other Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Armed Forces units, Windsor experienced a work inter-ruption during the spring of 2020 as the country locked down to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. But thanks to the dedicated work of Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott personnel and LCdr Matheson’s sailors, the TDWP stayed on schedule.

The platform was taken from the submarine shed and lowered back into Halifax Harbour in early August. Workers from Cape Scott are still on board now

that Windsor is back in the water, finishing up the final pieces of maintenance while the crew begins powering up their main systems and conducting alongside trials.

“They’ve put it all back together and now we have to prove that it works. Adding new capabilities on board will always come with heavy trials and testing to make sure we have full functionality of the system,” LCdr Matheson added.

“If everything goes smoothly, we will conduct a camber dive to prove its watertight integrity alongside, and then we’ll proceed to sea.”

LCdr Matheson also thanked Formation Safety for its support since Windsor went back in the water, and said that team has been on board extensively, making sure the most up-to-date COVID-19 policies are being fol-lowed in accordance with Commander Canadian Sub-marine Force’s goal to provide a safe working environ-ment for anyone who works in a Victoria-class subma-rine.

Looking ahead, the submarine will enter its tiered-readiness program at sea after proving its water tight integrity, bringing both Windsor and its crew back into fighting shape.

Beyond that, Canadian submarine movements are clas-sified, but LCdr Matheson said his crew is looking for-ward to conducting their business at sea with a modern-ized platform.

“Canada’s Defence Policy directs us to modernize Victo-

ria-class submarines and to operate them at home and

abroad in support of Canada’s national interests and

continental defence. That’s what we intend to do.”

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Canadian submarines will return to sea in 2020: Navy

VANCOUVER ISLAND | News

Published Monday, February 24, 2020 12:22PM PSTLast Updated Monday, February 24, 2020 3:56PM PST

Todd CoyneSenior Digital Producer, CTV News Vancouver Island @ToddCoyne Contact

VICTORIA -- The Royal Canadian Navy is set to deploy a submarine for the first time

since 2018, and says it will have most of its aging sub fleet back in the water by the end

of the year.

HMCS Victoria, one of four submarines in the Canadian fleet, began dive trials off Van-

couver Island last week, testing the integrity of the boat's hull after six years of mainte-

nance and upgrades since its last deployment.

All of Canada's second-hand military subs have been grounded and inoperable for the

past year following a busy 2017-18 deployment season for two boats, HMCS Chicoutimi

and HMCS Windsor.

SAOC WEST Page 10

The Chicoutimi spent a record-breaking 197 days at sea in 2018, patrolling the Asia-

Pacific region from its home port in Esquimalt, B.C. The deployment was the longest ev-

er for one of Canada's Victoria-class submarines and also marked the first Canadian sub

visit to Japan in 50 years.

The Windsor, meanwhile, embarked on a near-simultaneous 130-day outing to the Medi-

terranean Sea for a pair of NATO training and counter-terrorism missions.

"Submarine operational cycles and deployments are cyclical and, on completion of these

two historic deployments, we entered into a reconstitution phase for the submarine

force," said Capt. Jean Stéphane Ouellet, commander of the Canadian submarine fleet.

"This allowed time for the crews to recover from the high tempo of operations and for the

maintenance facilities to conduct work to prepare for the next period of high-tempo oper-

ations," he added.

HMCS Victoria undergoes camber dive testing in Victoria B.C. ahead of its planned 2020 deployment. (Department of National Defence)

SAOC WEST Page 11

HMCS Victoria, the first sub to return to sea following the year-long deployment

gap, will feature a new sonar system and battery when it departs CFB Esquimalt in the

coming months.

Its deployment will be followed shortly by HMCS Windsor, which returns to sea this sum-

mer after an extensive drydock work period. The Windsor will be tasked with test firing a

new heavyweight torpedo system that’s slated for rollout across the fleet.

With both boats deployed internationally by summertime, the Canadian sub force will turn

its focus to getting HMCS Corner Brook ready for its own sea trials later this year.

The Corner Brook has undergone extensive repairs and upgrades since June 2011,

when it struck the seafloor off B.C., causing severe damage to its nose cone and sonar

system.

Maritime Forces Pacific spokesperson Capt. Jenn Jackson said having three subs simul-

taneously operational – one off the East Coast and two off the West Coast – "is a histori-

cal milestone we are aiming to achieve this year."

Canada bought its four used subs from Britain in 1998 at a cost of $750 million, and has since put billions into maintaining and upgrading them.

SAOC WEST Page 12

What’s next for the Bonhomme Richard warship?

By: Everett Pyat

A fire is fought into the evening onboard the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on July 12, 2020. (MC2 Austin Haist/U.S. Navy)

Now that the secretary of the Navy has concluded the fire damage from the four-day fire is so extensive that the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard cannot be re-paired, what is next?

This is a sound decision. Just looking at public pictures, it is quite clear that damage is so extensive, repair is not possible. There is likely much hidden damage. Detailed exam-ination resulted in the same conclusion This is not to be reconsidered.

There are several studies in process trying to determine causes and lessons learned. These make clear the ill-advised reasons for disabling the fire-suppression system. This ship was designed to take weapons hits and survive impact. A working firesuppression system extinguished this fire upon inception. Why did it fail? Were adequate backup measures taken by the Navy and the contractor?

Second, the amount of combustible material supported four days of fire. How much of this was due to shipboard configuration, contractor supplies and Marine Corps mission equipment?

This ship had a major role in force planning. The chief of naval operations mentioned that ideas are being evaluated for replacement. That is the challenge. Naval briefings stated that the Bonhomme Richard cost $750 million to build, or $1.2 billion in today’s dollars. However, the Navy said the ship design available to replace this ship with very similar performance is $4.1 billion. Bonhnomme Richard continued next page

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This is another example of cost bloat allowed by the current acquisition system. Any replacement of this ship must start with zero based performance and ship budget that supports a cost related to the initial acquisition cost, adjusted for any F-35 fighter jet operations, costs, ship-hardening needs and combat communication requirements. That should be no more than $1.5 billion, or $300 million above basic ship cost in cur-rent dollars. Other cost increases should be considered on a case-by-case basis, much as the ships characteristics Board use to do.

Getting the ship cost under control is a major task for the next administration. That must begin with this project if there is to be any hope of achieving the 335-ship Navy defined by law, and preliminary to any expansion above the current 355-ship law and dream.

Everett Pyatt is a former assistant secretary of U.S. Navy for shipbuilding and logistics.

Don’t miss the TV series HELL BELOW THE GREATEST SUBMARINE PATROLS OF WWII

Check your local TV Listings or Google FOR THIS EXCITING SERIES You will really enjoy it

(Bonhomme Richard continued )

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ARLINGTON, Va. — Submarine forces operating in the Arctic will become “more and more important,” as the polar ice melts, opening up more navigable blue water to commercial and naval vessels, a top U.S. Navy leader says.

The U.S. Submarine Force has traveled under the Arctic ice for decades, and continues to add to the Navy’s under-standing of the environment by testing operating systems, conducting valuable scientific research and partnering with allies in exercises like Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2020, Vice Adm. Phillip Sawyer told webinar participants Nov. 16 at the annual symposium of the Naval Submarine League.

The increasing decline of sea ice in the Arctic has opened potential sea lanes in the summer months, sparking terri-torial disputes. Russia, Norway, Canada and the United States all have boosted their military presence in the Arctic at a rate not seen for decades. China, calling itself a near-Arctic nation, is eager to use a trans-Arctic route to move its exports and is building its own ice breakers. Russia is placing cruise missiles on its new heavy ice breakers.

“As the polar ice recedes and more of the Arctic becomes a blue Arctic, this will present opportunities and chal-lenges,” said Sawyer, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy. Noting submarines are the Navy’s primary anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platforms, Sawyer added, “the submarine forces working the Arctic will become more and more important.”

ICEX is a biennial submarine exercise to promote interoperability between allies and partners to maintain opera-tional readiness and regional stability in the Arctic. In March, two U.S. attack submarines, the USS Connecticut and the USS Toledo, joined forces from the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway and Japan in the Arctic Sea for ICEX 2020.

“While the submarine force can go where other naval units can’t, ICEX is but one of several High North exercises the Navy executes with allies and partners.” Sawyer said. In May, the U.S. 6th Fleet conducted a bilateral ASW ex-ercise with the Royal Navy above the Arctic Circle. Four ships, including a U.S. submarine, and a U.S. P-8A mari-time patrol and reconnaissance aircraft worked together in the Norwegian Sea.

The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Annapolis is on the surface of the Arctic Ocean after breaking through three feet of ice during Ice Exercise 2009. U.S. Navy

As Arctic Sea Ice Melts, Deputy CNO Says U.S. Subs Will Become More ImportantSeapower Magazine Posted on November 17, 2020 by John M. Doyle, Seapower Correspondent

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USS Connecticut

Navy submarines ventured back into the Arctic for training as Russia kept watch ICEX 2020 By Christopher Woody, Business Insider June13, 2020

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

This year's Ice Exercise was nothing new of the Seawolf-class fast-attack sub USS Connecticut, which also participated in the 2018 version of the biennial Arctic exercise. The 2018 iteration started just weeks after the Defense Department released its National Defense Strategy, which cited the re-emergence of “long-term, strategic competition” with “revisionist powers” — namely, China and Russia — as the central challenge to U.S. security. “The Arctic is a potential strategic corridor — between Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the U.S. homeland — for expanded competition,” and ICEX 2020 was an opportunity for the Navy's Submarine Force to “demonstrate combat and tactical readiness” for sustained operations in the challenging environment there, sub force commander Vice Adm. Daryl Cau-dle said when the exercise began. That competition was on display when Connecticut and Los Angeles-class fast-attack sub USS Toledo surfaced on an ice floe near Camp Seadragon, the exercise's temporary base, named for the first sub to sail through the Northwest Pas-sage and under an iceberg. On March 9 and March 14, Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance planes flew through the area, lingering near the camp and the subs, accompanied by U.S. and Canadian fighter aircraft, which scramble frequently for such missions.

Those encounters underscore the need “to be able to react appropriately” to send a strategic message and to “actually defeat any threats” should they arise, Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, head of U.S. Northern Com-mand, said days later .Down on the ice, however, the Russian presence didn't interrupt the work at hand. “We were aware of the overflights,” the Connecticut's commanding officer, Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani, told Insider in an interview at the end of May. “It did not affect any of the operations we were conducting.” 'The Arctic Circle is a first for me'

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Navy subs have done more than 100 Arctic exercises over the past 70 years, dating back to August 1947, when the USS Boarfish made the first under-ice transit of an ice floe. But this year's version of the exercise, centering on an ice floe 150 miles north of Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope, was a first for Aljilani. “I've operated in the Western Pacific as far west as Singapore, as far south as Australia,” Aljilani said. As executive officer on East Coast-based Virginia-class attack sub USS North Dakota, Aljilani sailed as far east as the Mediterranean Sea, but, he said, “going north to the Arctic Circle is a first for me.” Aljilani took command of the Connecticut in August 2019, and even though he was new to this kind of exercise, his crew was not. “I was fortunate,” Aljilani said. “Some of my department heads were here two years ago as well as about 40% of my crew. So that local, resident knowledge was very effective in making me successful.” The Navy's Arctic Submarine Laboratory, based in San Diego, is the lead organization for ICEX and has the service's resident experts on Arctic operations. “They maintain our tactics, techniques, and procedures, and during my transit and then up at the ice camp we had Arctic operations specialists, we call them ice pilots,” Aljilani said. “They embarked on the ship, and they helped us as we navi-gated through the Bering Strait and up into the Arctic.” The Lab set up on a moving ice floe to provide a platform where a tracking range, sensors, communication equipment, and personnel could be safely moved to and from the subs taking part. Personnel from Canada, Norway, the UK, and Japan were also on hand for the exercise, shortened this year to three weeks from five in 2018 and 2016. The Connecticut surfaced about a mile from the camp, Aljilani said. “They were able to have these really interesting planes that could take off in like 150 yards. It was pretty amazing. So they would fly from ice camp” and land about 100 yards from the sub. The Connecticut took on some distinguished visitors during the exercise, but it didn't take on cargo since it had a maximum load of food and parts — “so much food the crew was walking on cans … of food throughout the ship,” Aljilani said — as part of endurance tests that including keeping radio silence and doing repairs at sea. The exercise took place in early March, before the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) had rapidly expanded across the US. But the sub still took health precautions.

SAOC WEST Page 17

“Personnel were screened when they got on board and then they debarked, and then we were instituting our own screening protocols on board after the fact with no displays of symptoms.” The Navy's most capable subs The Connecticut, commissioned in 1998, is one of only three Seawolf-class subs, along with the USS Seawolf and the USS Jimmy Carter. The subs were designed to be the Navy's most capable in order to stay ahead of Soviet technology, but the service stopped building them after the Cold War ended. But the Connecticut's sophisticated features, included with the Cold War in mind, still make it uniquely suited for Arctic operations. “We have an improved sail that allows us to surface through the ice,” a feature that has been included on Virginia-class subs, Aljilani said. The sub also has a “very capable” sonar system. “I would say that's the capability that they made the best possible to go up there,” Aljilani added. “When we went up … two years ago, we had a version of the sonar system that now is about four, five years old, and we just got an upgraded system over our past dry-docking availability” in mid-2019. The sonar system, like other technology on the sub, is constantly upgraded, and that “ability to continually update us technically makes it easier for us to” operate in the Arctic, Aljilani said. As suited as those systems are for the Arctic, the sailors manning them still need training for the conditions there, which are markedly different from those in other parts of the world. “We have shore-based simulators that can model how the ship will react” to differences in salinity and temperature and other factors, Aljilani said. Nor is the vertical surfacing that subs do during ICEX part of the standard submariner skill set. “Normally we would as-cend to periscope depth having speed in the water. Due to under-ice operations, you can't be moving forward. You have to go up at zero speed and straight to the ice. That's one thing that we would practice,” Aljilani said. Similarly, dealing with the ice canopy requires special preparation, including training to spot ice pinnacles with sonar and maneuvering to avoid them. “For normal operations on the open ocean, there's nothing overhead … so for us, we have to learn how to detect and avoid ice fields that can go as deep as 200 feet in some areas,” Aljilani said. 'No safe haven'

Surfacing through an ice floe may be ICEX's most well-known event, but under-ice transits are also important. The Bering Strait, where sea ice is typically at its greatest extent in March, is a very shallow operational area. While in it, most of the sub's control party is focused on navigating safely, Aljilani said, but north of it, inside the Arctic circle, “it actually gets very deep.”

SAOC WEST Page 18

In the strait, there is “a three-dimensional problem,” Aljilani said. “I'm worried about the ground below and the ice above, and so that skill really is about being able to avoid the ice canopy or pinnacles that are coming down.” Open ocean allows the crew to practice more skills, such as operating deeper, coming shallow, weapons deployment, and sonar tracking — “all the skills that submarines have to have,” Aljilani said. Climate change is making the Arctic more accessible for transit as well as resource extraction, drawing more attention from the world's navies. But the region has long held advantages for U.S. submarines. The ice canopy can prevent detection from the air, and dis-tances across the Arctic are shorter, allowing subs to move between the coasts quickly, aiding crisis response. But those features cut both ways. “The disadvantage is there's no other traffic there. So if you detect a contact under the ice, it is most certainly a submarine, and they can probably detect you as well,” Aljilani said. “It's so quiet that we could actually detect a snowmobile that was driving by, probably about 5 miles from where we were at, on top of the ice.” Related: Russia is mopping the floor with the U.S. in the arctic, and it's downright embarrassing Conversely, the constant grinding of ice and other background sound “raises the ambient level of noise” and affects a sub's ability to hear specific things. “In general it's hard to detect discrete sounds in that environment,” Aljilani said. The limits the Arctic puts on movement affects everything a sub does, perhaps most importantly its ability to respond to emergencies on board. “When we go out and operate off of Washington state or San Diego, at any time most of our casualty procedures are based on the ability to conduct an emergency blow and proceed to the surface. That is not an option when you're under the ice,” Aljilani said. That changes the risk calculus, forcing Aljilani to rethink potential responses. During a fire aboard, the normal procedure would be respond to it and then surface to conduct emergency ventilation after the fire was out. But in the Bering Strait, doing that “could run [the sub into] 20 or 30 feet of ice, damage my sonar, damage my sail, and re-ally impact the ship,” Aljilani said. “So actually a safer option would almost be to accept the fact that we're flooding and maybe just settle on the bottom and then recover the ship.” “There is no safe haven” in the Arctic, Aljilani added. “So you have to think carefully [about] how you're going to execute emergency procedures. Because if a sailor takes an action that would be normal under normal operating conditions, that actually may hazard the ship more.”

SAOC WEST Page 19

United States, United Kingdom, Canada & Norway

As U.S. Navy brass continues to sound the alarm about Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic, the sea service kicked off an exercise this week to hone the sort of anti -sub warfare skills that fell by the wayside in the post-9/11 world.

Dubbed “Exercise Black Widow 2020” for a reason several admirals could not explain to re-porters Wednesday, the six-day North Atlantic training event kicked off Monday and involves the amphibious assault ship Wasp, the warships Arleigh Burke and McFaul, two fast-attack subs, P-8 Poseidon sub-hunting aircraft and two helicopter strike maritime squadrons.

Black Widow is part of an effort to ensure the service is ready to fight enemy subs, regardless of the Navy platform, U.S. 2nd Fleet commander Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis told reporters Wednesday.

Playing the role of the undersea bad guys are members of the Navy ’s undersea aggressor squad-ron, or AGGRON, a unit stood up last year to educate deploying crews and play the enemy elsewhere in the water column.

Battling enemy subs fell down the list of priorities during the past two decades, when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against asymmetric terrorism, took precedence . (continued next page)

The amphibious assault ship Wasp, shown here in June, is one of several units in the North Atlantic in Sept.

participating in the anti-submarine "Black Widow" exercise. (Marine Corps)Top of Form

“Exercise Black Widow 2020”

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But now, with Moscow and Beijing prowling the so-called “High North,” re-sharpening such skills has taken on a renewed urgency.

“This is where the fight is … where the competition is,” Lewis said. “Specifically in the At-lantic, the undersea capability of the Russians. We have got to maintain that advantage.”

“We’ve got some incredible war fighters in the submarine community that have stayed on top of this, the rest of us are getting back into that,” he added.

The diverse array of surface, air and undersea units in the exercise reflects the priority the Navy is placing on making sure its sub-fighting capabilities are up to snuff, Lewis said.

“Anti-submarine warfare is a primary mission for everybody in the United States Navy, re-gardless of what you wear on your chest,” he said.

Navy officials have in recent years sounded the alarm about Russian sub activity near vital undersea cables in the Atlantic that are vital communications tethers between North America and Europe, among other signs they see as troubling portents in those waters.

Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, the head of Submarine Force Atlantic, said that while Russia is a “cash-strapped nation,” they are still fielding some of the most advanced boats out there.

“Russia took a knee for over a decade and allowed a lot of folks to think the homeland is a sanctuary from Russian forces,” Caudle told reporters. “Our homeland is no longer a sanctu-ary. We have to be prepared to conduct high-end combat operations in local waters.”

“Nothing’s a sanctuary any longer,” he added. “That’s why we have to be ready.”

While Black Widow will allow the testing of new sensors and other gadgets, it will also test out tactics, strategies and new command and control structures for such future potentialities.

About Geoff Ziezulewicz :Geoff is a senior staff reporter for Military Times, focusing on the Navy. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was most recently a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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U.S. Navy Submarines Are Expensive

The 'Los Angeles'-class fast-attack submarine USS 'Newport News' is guided into the floating dry ... U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY JOHN NAREWSKI

The U.S. Navy wants more submarines. But even a small increase in the production rate threatens to eat the fleet’s budget for decades to come.

That’s because submarines are expensive. In the next 30 years, the Navy projects it could spend between $12 billion and $15 billion annually buying between three and four new subs a year.

That’s out of an overall shipbuilding budget that could range between $22 billion and $33 billion annually.

In other words, in some years the Navy might spend more than half of its shipbuilding budget on submarines alone. Even though subs account for only a quarter of the hulls the fleet plans to acquire.

Today the Navy operates 68 submarines. The force includes 50 attack submarines (SSNs), 14 ballistic-missile subs (SSBNs) and four cruise-missile subs (SSGNs). All have nuclear powerplants.

Reactors determine a submarine’s lifespan. When a reactor runs out of fuel, you either replace the fuel or decom-mission the boat. Replacing the fuel is so expensive and time-consuming that the Navy typically does it only once per vessel. That usually translates into a service life of no more than 35 years.

The math is simple. To maintain a force of around 70 submarines, you have to build two per year. The problem is that, during the 1990s and early 2000s, the Navy built only a handful of new subs. It took years of lobbying and planning by industry, lawmakers and fleet leaders to squeeze two new Virginia-class boats for a combined $4 bil-lion into annual budgets starting in 2012—the so-called “two for four in ‘12” plan.

But the construction lull means there’s going to be a shortage of submarines. The sub force will shrink to a low of 50 SSNs, two SSGNs and 14 SSBNs in 2026, according to the 2021 edition of the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan. (continued on next page)

David Axe Forbes Staff

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That plan is subject to change, of course. But no conceivable shipbuilding scheme avoids the dip in subma-rine numbers.

And here’s the kicker. The projected low of 66 submarines actually is an improvement over previous years’ planning. As recently as 2019, the Navy expected SSN numbers to decline to a low of 42 in 2028. Stopgap measures such as extending the lives of a few older Los Angeles-class attack boats—plus a planned boost in acquisition of Virginias—has lifted that floor.

But at incredible cost. The Navy now wants to build between three and four submarines annually starting in 2024 and continuing into the 2040s. Those new boats would include more Virginias plus a possible next-generation attack boat for a total of 77 new SSNs between now and 2051.

The balance would comprise 11 new Columbia-class SSBNs in the 2020s and 2030s and, between 2042 and 2051, four new “large-payload submarines” to replace the old SSGNs—which by then would have be a dis-tant memory, as they are scheduled to decommission in the late 2020s.

A new Virginia costs around $2.3 billion. A single Columbia could cost $10 billion.

That’s 92 new submarines in 30 years, which could allow the Navy to rebuild its undersea force to a new high of 93 boats in 2051.

But the project would consume around $510 billion of the roughly $840 billion the Navy expects to spend on new warships through 2051. The remaining $330 billion would buy the 308 major surface ships the fleet wants in order to grow to a new high of around 355 large, manned ships—up from around 300 today.

Put another way, submarines could consume 60 percent of the Navy’s spending while accounting for just a quarter of its hulls.

Submarines are expensive.

SAOC WEST Page 23

On Eternal Patrol

Max Tulloch 1990 - 2020

Maxwell Tulloch of Victoria, BC, formerly of Camrose, passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at the age of 30 years.

Maxwell Kevin Charles Tulloch was born April 29, 1990. He grew up in Oha-ton and attended Bawlf School. He then moved to Camrose and attended Camrose Composite High School. In the middle of Grade 11, he made the

decision to join the Canadian Forces.

He was a free spirit all his growing years. Throughout his younger years he belonged to Beavers, Cubs, played on a football team and belonged to Camrose Army Cadets. He held many part time jobs in Cam-rose. He attended Basic Military Training in Quebec and graduated in the Canadian Forces on his 18th birthday. He first joined the Army, but after a short while he decided that Navy was for him. He moved to Victoria and began on the Ships but soon transferred to Submarine division. He served on HMCS Victoria. He was proud to have the opportunity to escort Prince William and his wife Kate on a tour of the submarine. He was married in August of 2011 and began a family of his own. He has three children Connor, Brianna and Jackson. There was nothing he loved more than being with his family. He had a small boat that he took numerous family members for an afternoon of fishing; or just a sail and have a great visit.

Max was an important part of the family and great friend to all. He will be missed by everybody that had the chance to know him.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Ashley; children Connor, Brianna, and Jackson; mother Jill Oram; father Kevin Tulloch; siblings Jennifer Tulloch of Swift Current, Tasha Ronsko of Camrose, and Levi Tulloch of Wetaskiwin; grandmother Joan Hill; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and his military family and friends. A private family service has taken place. Please Note: "Master Seaman Tulloch the Submariner of the year for HMCS VICTORIA was renamed in memorial the Max Tulloch Submariner of the Year award. He was the Submariner of the year for HMCS VICTORIA in 2019. He was the PMC of the JR’s Mess as well as an amazing ambassador for the submarine community." CPO2 / PM2 | Michael (Rob) Tibbetts, CD

SAOC WEST Page 24

Keith Gordon Nesbit

2 0 N O V E M B E R , 1 9 4 1 – 1 2 N O V E M B E R , 2 0 2 0

Predeceased by his father, Captain Francis Gordon Nesbit

(British Merchant Navy) and mother Olive, of Newcastle, England.

Keith held the nationalities of the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Keith Nesbit was

raised in the UK and western Canada, to where his family emigrated in 1951. He attended schools in

Oak Bay, British Columbia and in 1960 joined the RCN’s VENTURE Training Plan. From 1962, upon

commissioning, he served in Canadian frigates, destroyers and – principally - submarines. While at

port in Honolulu in 1965, Keith met Joan E. Mullin, and two years later they married in San Francis-

co. Their family of five children followed, and were thereafter referred to as, “The Blessings”.

In 1975, having passed the Royal Navy’s infamous “Perisher” course, he commanded

Canada’s newest submarine, HMCS Okanagan, and subsequently was Commander,

First Canadian Submarine Squadron.

His last tour of duty was at SACLANT Headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, after which he and Joan re-

tired in Virginia Beach. Keith considered his 36 years of Naval service to have been a break in a

musical career. Having performed in Victoria, B.C. as a jazz/rock pianist-organist in the 1950’s, he

resumed that career in Hampton Roads. He has since performed in many local venues, in solo and

multi-instrument roles. He performed at Norfolk’s famed Painted Lady restaurant for eleven years,

with Chesapeake's Word Alive Christian Center for eighteen years, and was accompanist to popular

local jazz vocalist Becky Livas since 2012.

Keith was grateful for the strength which can be provided by a close-knit,

loving family, and that strength was most evident during the 5 months he

had to face the challenges posed by lung cancer. He is survived by his

loving wife, Joan, five children: K.G., Paul, Barry, Shivonne, and Me-

ghan; seven grandchildren: Liam, Fiona, Johannah, Seamus, Amelia,

Sophia, and Kaela; and three daughters-in-law: Stephanie, Christine and

Tara. He is also survived by an older sister, Valerie, a younger brother,

Rod and his wife, Val, and a brother-in-law, Michael Mullin.

On Eternal Patrol

SAOC WEST Page 25

It is with shock and great sadness that the family of Lt. (N) Terence Herbert Wyss (MMM) announce his passing that occurred on Tuesday, October 6th, 2020.

He was surrounded by love with his family at his side as

his quick and arduous battle with pancreatic cancer came to a close.

He lived a wonderful life with his loving and dedicated wife Darlene, who survives him.

He is also survived by his four children, Tina, Toni (Arni), Shaun (Tammy), and Kirsten

(Gerry) along with his grandchildren Roxanna, Jonathan, Nicolas, Laura, Joshua, Sofia,

Stephanie, Liam, and Ewan.

Terence is also survived by two brothers in England, Robin (Maureen) and Stephen (Kim).

He also had nine great-grandchildren that carry his memory with them.

He is celebrated as a highly decorated veteran submariner for both the Royal and Canadian

Navy with the Order of Military Merit as a notable achievement amongst countless others.

Terence will be remembered fondly for his quick wit, unfailing support for his family, and as

the English champion of love.

Terry Wyss was a good friend. We served together in Okanagan in 1970/71. We later were together at NDHQ in 1989/90. At that time, we made a trip together to New London to look at US Submarine escape training. While there, we visited USS Nautilus and attended a NHL hockey game in Hartford. I last saw Terry when he and his wife came West to attend one of submariners reunions. Lloyd Barnes

On Eternal Patrol

Terrence H Wyss

- 6 October, 2020

SAOC WEST Page 26

It is with profound sadness that the family of Robert "Bob" Davidson, 82, of Mount Uniacke, an-

nounce his passing on Monday, November 9, 2020 at Hants Community Hospital, Windsor, after a

courageous battle with cancer. Born September 21, 1938 in Toronto, Ontario. Bob was the son of the

late George and Mary (Hancock) Davidson. Relocating to Nova Scotia in 1956,

Bob enjoyed long and distinguished careers both in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Foreign

(Global) Affairs. He was a dedicated seaman and submariner - serving his country both above

and below the seas.

On retiring from the Navy, Bob joined the Foreign Service (Global Affairs) to support diplomatic initi-

ates and communities worldwide. Bob always maintained interest and contact in his friendships, com-

munity affiliations and organizations.

He was a lifelong member of the Royal Canadian Legion, the Submariners Association of Canada, the

Radio Operators of Canada and United Kingdom, the Clarke Lodge 61 (Past Master) and Scottish Rite

Free Masonry of Canada.

Bob loved and enjoyed his family. He is survived by his devoted wife of 61 years, Winnie, who was

his lifelong loving partner and companion. He is also survived by his two remaining children, Shawn,

Mount Uniacke; and Cheryl, Ottawa, ON. Bob adored and loved each of his grandchildren, Dylan, Da-

mien, Fraser, Olivia and Alexander; and his great-grandchildren, Nathan, Riley and Colin. He has now

joined his eldest son, Rob, who also passed from cancer 10 years ago. We will all forever remember

his mischievous sense of humor and warm, generous and loving heart. He will be deeply missed by

those who knew and loved him.

The family wishes to send a special thank you to the community Palliative care team and the wonder-

ful doctors and nurses at Hants Community Hospital. We thank you so much for going above and be-

yond to support our family during these difficult moments. Arrangements have been entrusted to

DeMont Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 419 Albert Street, Windsor (902-798-8317). A

celebration of Bob's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Bob

may be made to a charity of one's choice. (Halifax Chronicle-Herald 13 Nov 2020)

DAVIDSON, Robert George Arthur -

Petty Officer 1st Class, Radioman, RCN / C.A.F.

21 Sep 1938 - 09 Sep 2020

On Eternal Patrol

SAOC WEST Page 27

SAOC WEST Page 28

On Eternal Patrol

Jean Claude

Gourdeau

April 09, 1928—September 13, 2020

Claude passed away peacefully on September 13, with his only son Denis and daughter-in-law

Julie by his side.

Claude was known by many to have a strong character. He had a unique wit about him. He was

known for his work ethic and story telling. He also had a talent for woodworking.

Claude was born in Quebec City. He is predeceased by sister Claire, brothers Fernand and WWII

Merchant Navy veteran serving in the Battle of the Atlantic. He joined the Royal Canadian Navy

after the war and volunteered for the Silent Service and was posted to Royal Navy Subma-

rines. His final career he rose to the rank of Chief Engineer Canadian Coast Guard and Su-

perintendent of AIDS to Navigation, on Canada’s west coast.

Claude leaves behind his son Denis Karl and daughter-in-law Julie of High River, AB, and grand-

daughters Kara (Calgary) and Jenna (Toronto).

“ Of all the branches of men in the Forces, there is none which shows more devotion and faces

grimmer perils than the Submariner”. Sir Winston Churchill

Special thanks to the wonderful care and attention from the staff at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital

over the years and especially to PCU, We wish to give heartfelt thanks to Dr. Peter Innes for his

never ending support and superior care for Claude and Liesel over many years.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Royal Canadian Legion, Esquimalt Dockyard

Branch 172 (www.legion172.ca)

SAOC WEST Page 29

shipmate’s

Sea Stories

Share stories, memories, incidents , challenges ,

jokes, photos, and tall tales from times aboard

with your fellow shipmates.

SUBMARINER FEATURE

Please send your article, and a photo if you have

one to:

Valerie Braunschweig, Editor,

SAOC-West Angles & Dangles Newsletter.

valerieanddick@telus.net

President

Wade Berglund

778-425-2936

fwberg@hotmail.ca

Vice-President

Patrick Hunt

250-213-1358

PHunt@PatrickHunt.ca

Secretary

Lloyd Barnes

250-658-4746

lwbarnes@shaw.ca

Treasurer & Membership

Chris Parkes

250-658-2249

Christopherparkes@gmail.com

Angles & Dangles

Newsletter Editor

Valerie Braunschweig

valerieanddick@telus.net

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