Naval group urges refit for Victoria-class subs to patrol Arctic

The Navy League of Canada says the federal government should refit the country's often maligned Victoria-class submarines for limited under-ice operations if it is serious about defending the Arctic.

The defence group's national deputy director, Jerod Riley, says the biggest military threat faced in the North comes from foreign submarines.

The ability to track them and neutralize them should be a key plank in any defence strategy, he said.

The navy conceded last week that the country's new Arctic patrol ships, announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper with much political fanfare in July, won't be designed with sonar - or have the ability to hunt submarines.

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