The Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range (CFMETR), commonly known as Nanoose, has been jointly operated by the Canadian Forces and the US Navy since 1965 for the purpose of testing torpedos and other maritime military sensors and equipment.
The Pearson Government signed
an agreement with the US State Department for the establishment, operation,
and maintenance of a torpedo testing range in the Strait of Georgia.
This 12 May 1965 agreement originally said that the range and responsibilities
would be shared between both partners. It also stipulated that although
the
relationship was to last for ten years, if there was no objection after
that time, it would become
indefinite. The next ten years saw a steady parade of US vessels
using the range for torpedo target work.
As the ten year initial period drew to a close, discussions at the Permanent Joint Board on Defence (PJBD) revealed that the US wanted to renew their option at Nanoose, and also wanted to significantly upgrade the site.
On 14 April 1976 the Trudeau Government allowed an exchange of diplomatic notes which extended the agreement for a further ten years, and which laid the legal framework for the installation of advanced underwater tracking systems in Jervis Inlet. This turned the Nanoose range from a simple torpedo range into one of the most advanced underwater weapons testing facilities in the world.
The United States Navy sought to update existing range operating equipment and to install an advanced underwater acoustic measurement system at Jervis Inlet. For this reason they asked that the new arrangement be made formal. Secretary of State for External Affairs in the Trudeau Government, Allan MacEachen, signed Note DFR-1033 for Canada on 14 April 1976 accepting the US Note and the annex on conditions and closure. There were no Canadian reservations to the arrangement.
The seabed equipment at Nanoose consists of thirty acoustic hydrophone towers, each holding four hydrophones. The towers are anchored to the seabed and connected by cable to the shore. When they were installed their value was some $10 million. Total range electronic equipment is now valued at some $164 million, with the vast bulk being provided and owned by the US Navy.
The most curious aspect of the Nanoose agreement is that Canada cannot terminate the relationship. The US note of 13 January 1976 from US Embassy official N.M. Johnso states that the site cannot simply be closed if one party did not agree. In such a case, the question was to be referred to the PJBD, a group known to be rather US-minded in its military thinking. After the PJBD had considered the question and made a recommendation, the country desiring closure could then give a twelve month notice of intent to close. Only at that point would closure be possible. Even if Ottawa chose to close Nanoose, the US Navy could keep it open by stalling in the PJBD.
It has been the position of every Canadian Government since the opening of Nanoose to the USA that there is absolutely no danger from either the nuclear weapons on board the ships and submarines, nor is there a danger from the nuclear reactors which power most of the submarines and some of the surface ships. The following list will show that the US Navy ships and submarines which have visited Nanoose since 1965 DO NOT have the prefect safetyrecord Ottawa wishes. Instead, we see a steady stream of collisions, groundings, fires, and even radiation leaks. This evidence directly contradicts the statements of the federal government to the effect that there has never been a nuclear leak from a US Navy vessel. In fact, the US Navy now acknowledges that various of the submarines which have visited Nanoose have in the past leaked radioactive material such as coolants into the waters in the USA. It happens in US ports, and it can easily happen here.
The first nuclear-powered attack submarine to enter a Canadian port on a scheduled naval visit was the (SSN) USS Shark. It stayed in Halifax harbour for two days in May 1967. After a brief review of the visit by the Atomic Energy Control Board in June, future visits were authorized, and the first SSN promptly showed up at Nanoose 04-05 October 1967.
Between the opening of the
range to the USA and 1997 there had been 650 warships visits to Nanoose.
Of these, 162 were submarines, with 33 being conventional, and 129 being
nuclear-powered. There were 124 USN SSN nuclear-powered attack submarines,
and 5 USN SSBN nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines or former ballistic
missile submarines. This means that 25% of USN vessels to visit Nanoose
were submarines; and that of the USN submarines to visit Nanoose, 80% were
powered by nuclear reactors. This is not to say that the surface
vessels were conventionally powered. The frequently visiting aircraft
carrier USS Nimitz is powered by two nuclear reactors, and the cruiser
Texas by one. However, generally the USN surface fleet is conventionally
powered.
NANOOSE USE
Notes on Abbreviations in list:
ASROC: RUR-5A Anti-Submarine Rocket with 1kt W-44 nuclear
warhead
SUBROC: UUM-44A Submarine Rocket with 1-5kt W-55 nuclear
warhead
ASTOR: Mk 45 Anti-Submarine Torpedo Ordnance Rocket torpedo
with
10-15kt W34 nuclear warhead
Tomahawk: BMG-109 Sea-Launched Cruise Missile SLCM with
170-200kt W80 nuclear warhead
1965
Canada-USA agreement on use of Nanoose is signed 5/65
(no records of ships or torpedos)
1966
DD 675 Marshall
PCER E 855 Rexberg
USS Bluefin (unknown name: probably conventional submarine)
Torpedoes: no figures
1967
SSN 579 Swordfish (SUBROC & ASTOR) (first SSN to visit Nanoose)
SS 351 Greenfish
SS 567 Gudgeon
CG 29 Jouett (ASROC)
CG 30 Horne (ASRCO & Terrier)
CG 31 Sterrett (ASRCO & Terrier)
DDG 31 Decateur (ASROC)
FFG 02 Ramsey (ASROC)
USS Jones (unknown name)
Torpedoes: no figures
1968
SSN 583 Sargo (SUBROC & ASTOR)
SS 487 Remora
SS 573 Salmon (fire 04/07/63)
FFG 03 Schofield (ASROC)
FF 1048 Sample (ASROC)
FF 1051 O Callahan (ASROC)
DDG 33 Parsons (ASROC)
DDG 32 John Paul Jones (ASROC)
DDG 34 Somers (ASROC)
Torpedoes: no figures
1969
SSN 596 Barb (SUBROC & ASTOR) (collision 13/10/65)
SS 582 Bonefish
SS 581 Blueback
LPSS 574 Grayback
DD 788 Hollister (ASROC)
DE 1050 Albert David (ASROC)
DE 1051 Knox (ASROC)
DE 1055 Hepburn (ASROC) (fire 18/03/77)
DE 1024 Bridget (ASROC)
DDG 13 Hoel (ASROC)
FF 1041 Bradley (ASROC)
USS Anderson (unknown name)
Torpedoes: no figures
1970
SSN 651 Queenfish (NUC) (SUBROC & ASTOR)
SS 339 Catfish
SS 566 Trout
SS 567 Gudgeon
SS 576 Darter
SS 351 Greenfish
CG 21 Gridley (ASROC & Terrier)
DD 783 Gurke (ASROC)
USS McCain (could be McKean DD 784 (ASROC))
DD 790 Shelton (ASROC)
DD 885 John R. Craig (ASROC)
DE 1053 Roark (ASROC)
DE 1054 Grey (ASROC)
DE 1058 Meyerkord (ASROC)
DE 1060 Lang (ASROC)
DE 1062 Whipple (ASROC)
FF 1051 O Callahan (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 1532 (total not broken down by US & Canada)
1971
SS 564 Trigger
SS 565 Wahoo
SS 566 Trout
SS 568 Harder
SS 573 Salmon (fire 04/07/63)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
DE 1024 Bridget (ASROC)
DE 1071 Badger (ASROC)
DE 1063 Reasoner (ASROC)
DE 1064 Lockwood (ASROC)
DE 1076 Fanning (ASROC)
LKA 115 Mobile
USS Ulman (unknown name)
Torpedoes: 891
1972
SSN 651 Queenfish (SUBROC & ASTOR)
SSN 652 Puffer (SUBROC & ASTOR) (nuclear accident 23/05/78
SSN 672 Pintado (SUBROC & ASTOR) (collides with Soviet SSBN 01/05/74)
(collides with Korean ship 06/12/77)
SSN 677 Drum (SUBROC)
SS 564 Trigger (SUBROC)
FF 1087 Kirk (ASROC)
USS Bagley (unknown name)
USS R.E. Peary (unknown name)
Torpedoes: 679
1973
SSN 590 Sculpin (SUBROC)
SSN 594 Permit (SUBROC) (collided 10/05/62) (SSN 594 and SSN 701 collide
31/12/82)
SSN 612 Guardfish (SUBROC)
SSN 621 Haddock (SUBROC)
SSN 665 Guitaro (SUBROC)
SSN 666 Hawkbill (SUBROC) (suffered nuclear accident 03/12/80, and
on 20/06/79 this submarine leaked radioactive material for three days.
USN says "such leaks happen occasionally")
DD 719 Epperson (ASROC)
DD 825 Carpenter (ASROC)
DD 887 Brinkley Bass (ASROC)
DDG 15 Berkley (ASROC)
DE 1023 Evans
DE 1024 Bridget (ASROC)
USS Osborn (unknown name)
Torpedoes: 971
1974
SSN 595 Plunger (SUBROC)
SSN 639 Tautog (SUBROC) (fire 05/18/89)
SSN 652 Puffer (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 23/05/78)
SSN 662 Gurnard (SUBROC) (radioactive spill 20/07/80) (runs aground
23/05/89)
SSN 666 Hawkbill (SUBROC) (suffered nuclear accident 03/12/80, and
on
20/06/79 this submarine leaked radioactive material for three days.
USN says "such leaks happen occasionally")
SSN 667 Drum (SUBROC)
SS 566 Trout
SS 567 Gudgeon
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
DDE 717 Chandler (ASROC)
DDG 885 Craig (ASROC)
LSD 36 Anchorage
Torpedoes: 912
1975
SSN 575 Seawolf (SUBROC) (ran aground 30/01/68) (engine room failure
14/11/70)
SSN 590 Sculpin (SUBROC)
SSN 592 Snook (SUBROC) (strikes bottom 25/10/72) (entangled in fishnet
23/04/75)
SSN 594 Permit (SUBROC)
SSN 595 Plunger (SUBROC)
SSN 651 Queenfish (SUBROC)
SSN 665 Guitarro (SUBROC) (NOTE: first Tomahawk test submarine) (sank
15/05/69 and refloated) (fire 17/05/84) (valve failure 31/07/86)
SSN 666 Hawkbill (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 03/12/80 and 20/06/79)
SS 573 Salmon (fire 04/07/63)
DD 718 Hamner (ASROC)
DD 876 Rogers (ASROC)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
DDG 9 Towers (ASROC)
DDG 16 Joseph Strauss (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 741
1976
SSN 588 Scamp (SUBROC)
SSN 595 Plunger (SUBROC)
SSN 596 Barb (SUBROC) (collision 13/10/65)
SS 566 Trout
SSBN 618 Thomas Jefferson (16x Poseidon C3 SLBM wtih 10 warheads each)
DD 806 Higbee (ASROC)
DD 876 Rogers (ASROC)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
DD 964 Foster (ASROC)
DLGN 25 Bainbridge
Torpedoes: 709
1977
SSN 590 Sculpin (SUBROC)
SSN 594 Permit (SUBROC)
SSN 595 Plunger (SUBROC)
SSN 603 Pollack (SUBROC)
SSN 612 Guardfish (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 21/04/73) (ran aground
24/12/67) (ran aground 26/03/81)
SSN 613 Flasher (SUBROC) (fire 07/01/89)
SSN 648 Aspro (SUBROC)
SSN 665 Guitarro (SUBROC) (NOTE: first Tomahawk test submarine) (sank
15/05/69 and refloated) (fire 17/05/84) (valve failure 31/07/86)
SSN 672 Pintado (SUBROC) (collides with Soviet SSBN 01/05/74) (collides
with Korean ship06/12/77)
SS 567 Gudgeon
SS 576 Darter
CG 32 William H. Standley (ASROC)
DD 718 Hamner (ASROC)
DD 806 Higbee (ASROC)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
DD 876 Rogers (ASROC)
DD 966 Hewitt (ASROC)
DD 967 Elliot (ASROC)
FF 1037 Bronstein (ASROC)
FF 1065 Stein (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 616
1978
SSN 621 Haddock (SUBROC)
SSN 662 Gurnard (SUBROC) (radioactive spill 20/07/80) (runs aground
23/05/89)
SSN 667 Drum (SUBROC)
SSN 683 Parche (SUBROC)
DD 718 Hamner (ASROC)
DD 806 Higbee (ASROC)
DD 876 Rogers (ASROC)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
USS Desteiger (unkown name)
Torpedoes: 830
1979
SSN 594 Permit (SUBROC) (collided 10/05/62) (SSN 594 and SSN 701 collide
31/12/82)
SSN 621 Haddock (SUBROC)
SSN 639 Tautog (SUBROC) (fire 05/18/89)
SSN 648 Aspro (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 26/05/78)
SSN 652 Puffer (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 23/05/78)
SSN 683 Parche (SUBROC)
SS 567 Gudgeon
DD 784 McKean (ASROC)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 763
1980
SS 567 Gudgeon
DD 784 McKean (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 740
1981
SSN 660 Sand Lance (SUBROC) (fire 07/28/89)
SSN 680 William H. Bates (SUBROC)
SSN 683 Parche (SUBROC)
DD 886 Orleck (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 798
1982
SSN 603 Pollack (SUBROC)
SSN 647 Pogy (SUBROC)
SSN 666 Hawkbill (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 20/06/79 and 03/12/80)
SSN 608 Ethan Allen (former SSBN, transports USN special forces troops)
(collision 09/01/65)
DD 946 Edson (ASROC)
USS Henry (probably DDG 7 Henry B. Wilson (ASROC))
Torpedoes: 912
1983
SSN 595 Plunger (SUBROC)
SSN 596 Barb (SUBROC) (collision 13/10/65)
SSN 651 Queenfish (SUBROC)
SSN 677 Drum (SUBROC)
DD 984 Leftwich (ASROC)
DD 985 Cushing (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 1374
1984
SSN 594 Permit (SUBROC) (collided 10/05/62) (SSN 594 and SSN 701 collide
31/12/82)
SSN 604 Haddo (SUBROC)
SSN 672 Pintado (SUBROC) (collides with Soviet SSBN 01/05/74) (collides
with Korean ship 06/12/77)
DD 991 Fife (Tomahawk)
FF 1069 Bagley (ASROC)
FF 1071 Badger (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 1224
1985
SSN 612 Guardfish (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 21/04/73) (ran aground
24/12/67) (ran aground 26/03/81)
SSN 672 Pintado (SUBROC/Tomahawk) (collides with Soviet SSBN 01/05/74)
(collides with Korean ship 06/12/77)
SSN 677 Drum (SUBROC/Tomahawk)
SSN 701 La Jolla (Tomahawk)
SSN 716 Salt Lake City (Tomahawk)
DD 964 Paul F. Foster (ASROC)
DD 990 Ingersoll (ASROC & Tomahawk)
FF 1065 Stein (ASROC)
FF 1053 Roark (ASROC)
FF 1058 Meyerkord (ASROC)
FFG 3 Schofield (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 1303
1986
SSN 666 Hawkbill (SUBROC/Tomahawk) (nuclear accident 20/06/79 and 03/12/80)
SSN 698 Bremerton (SUBROC/Tomahawk)
SSN 717 Olympia (Tomahawk) (equipment operations failure 06/29/89)
DD 990 Ingersoll (ASROC & Tomahawk)
DD 965 Kinkaid (ASROC)
DD 966 Hewitt (ASROC)
DDG 14 Buchanan (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 961
1987
SSN 604 Haddo (SUBROC)
SSN 612 Guardfish (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 21/04/73) (ran aground
24/12/67) (ran aground
26/03/81)
SSN 716 Salt Lake City (Tomahawk)
DD 985 Cushing (ASROC)
DD 986 Harry G. Hill (ASROC)
DD 975 O Brien (ASROC)
FF 1070 Downes (ASROC)
LST 1198 Bristol County (certified as nuclear weapon transporter)
Torpedoes: 820
1988
SSN 604 Haddo (SUBROC)
SSN 612 Guardfish (SUBROC) (nuclear accident 21/04/73) (ran aground
24/12/67) (ran aground 26/03/81)
SSN 701 La Jolla (Tomahawk)
SSN 716 Salt Lake City (Tomahawk)
CVN 68 Nimitz (c.135 nuclear gravity and depth bombs per aircraft carrier)
(nuclear accident 11/05/79)
BB 63 Missouri (multiple Tomahawks per battleship)
DD 985 Cushing (ASROC)
DD 992 Fletcher (ASROC)
DDG 13 Hoel (ASROC)
FF 1050 Albert David (ASROC)
FF 1053 Roark (ASROC)
FF 1060 Lang (ASROC)
FF 1063 Reasoner (ASROC)
FF 1070 Downes (ASROC)
FFG 3 Scholfield (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 682
1989
SSN 647 Pogy (SUBROC/Tomahawk)
CV 62 Independence (c.135 nuclear gravity and depth bombs per aircraft
carrier)
CG 16 Leahy (ASROC & Terrier)
FF 1054 Grey (ASROC)
FF 1067 Francis Hammond (ASROC)
FF 1087 Kirk (ASROC)
AOR 1 Wichita (emergency nuclear weapons transport vessel)
AFS 1 Mars (emergency nuclear weapons transport vessel)
Torpedoes: 685
1990
SSN 662 Gurnard (SUBROC & Tomahawk) (radioactive spill 20/07/80)
(runs aground 23/05/89)
SSN 695 Birmingham (Tomahawk)
SSN 701 La Jolla (Tomahawk)
SSN 711 San Fransisco (SUBROC & Tomahawk)
SSN 713 Houston (Tomahawk) (radioactive spill 28/09/82) (snages cable
14/06/89) (snags fishnet 16/06/89) (flooded 07/11/89
CVN 68 Nimitz (c.135 nuclear gravity and depth bombs per aircraft carrier)
(nuclear accident11/05/79)
AOE 1 Sacramento (nuclear weapon supply vessel)
CG 29 Jouett (ASROC & Terrier)
CG 33 Fox (ASROC & Terrier)
DDG 14 Buchanan (ASROC)
FF 1053 Roark (ASROC)
FF 1054 Gray (ASROC)
FF 1055 Hepburn (ASROC)
FF 1060 Lang (ASROC)
FF 1067 Francis Hammond (ASROC)
FF 1069 Langley (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 892
1991
SSN 662 (Tomahawk) (radioactive spill 20/07/80) (runs aground
23/05/89)
SSN 683 Parche (Tomahawk)
SSN 692 Omaha (Tomahawk)
SSN 697 Indianapolis (Tomahawk)
SSN 725 Helena (Tomahawk)
SSN 752 Pasadena (Tomahawk)
SSN 754 Topeka (Tomahawk)
SSBN 617 Alexander Hamilton (no nuclear warheads/decommissioned as
SSBN)
CVN 68 Nimitz (c.135 nuclear gravity and depth bombs per aircraft carrier)
(nuclear accident 11/05/79)
CGN 39 Texas (ASROC & Tomahawk)
CG 21 Gridley (ASROC & Terrier)
DD 973 John Young (ASROC)
FF 1053 Roark (ASROC)
FF 1055 Hepburn (ASROC)
FF 1058 Meyerkord (ASROC)
FF 1060 Lang (ASROC)
FF 1083 Cook (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 906
1992
SSN 648 Aspro (Tomahawk) (nuclear accident 26/05/78)
SSN 684 Cavalla (Tomahawk)
SSN 698 Bremerton (Tomahawk)
SSN 701 La Jolla (Tomahawk)
SSN 718 Honolulu (Tomahawk) (equipment operation failure 23/08/89)
SSN 721 Chicago (Tomahawk)
SSBN 659 Will Rogers (Trident SSBN training vessel) (surfaces under
a
fishing vessel 03/01/89)(fires 20/03/89 & 29/03/89)
CVN 68 Nimitz (c.135 nuclear gravity and depth bombs per aircraft carrier)
(nuclear accident 11/05/79)
CGN 39 Texas (ASROC & Tomahawk)
CG 49 Vincennes (ASROC & Tomahawk)
CG 57 Lake Champlain (ASROC & Tomahawk)
CG 59 Princeton (ASROC & Tomahawk)
CG 62 Chancellorsville (ASROC & Tomahawk)
FF 1064 Lockwood (ASROC)
Torpedoes: 910
1993
SSN 692 Omaha (Tomahawk)
SSN 696 New York City (Tomahawk)
SSN 721 Chicago (Tomahawk)
SSN 759 Jefferson City (Tomahawk)
CG 50 Valley Forge (ASROC)
DD 975 David R. Ray (ASROC)
FF 1077 Ouellet (ASROC)
AOR 3 Kansas City (emergency nuclear weapons transport vessel)
Torpedoes: 682
1994
SSN 647 Pogy (Tomahawk)
SSN 666 Hawkbill (Tomahawk) (nuclear accident 20/06/79 and 03/12/80)
SSN 698 Bremerton (Tomahawk)
SSN 713 Houston (Tomahawk) (radioactive spill 28/09/82) (snages cable
14/06/89) (snags fishnet 16/06/89) (flooded 07/11/89
SSN 718 Honolulu (Tomahawk) (equipment operation failure 23/08/89)
Torpedoes: 606
1995
SSN 711 San Fransisco (Tomahawk)
SSN 759 Jefferson City (Tomahawk)
SSBN 726 Ohio (24x Trident 1 C4 SLCM with 8 warheads each) (fire while
submerged 02/03/89)
CVN 68 Nimitz (c.135 nuclear gravity and depth bombs per aircraft carrier)
(nuclear accident 11/05/79)
Torpedoes: 351
1996
SSN 639 Tautog (Tomahawk) (fire 05/18/89)
SSN 725 Helena (Tomahawk) (power train failure 05/17/89)
Torpedoes: 299
1997
SSN 721 Chicago (Tomahawk)
DD 971 David R. Ray
FFG 54 Ford
LPD 6 Duluth
AGSS 555 Dolphin (conventional)
LSD 36 Anchorage
Torpedoes: 383 US
1998
SSN 762 Columbus (Tomahawk)
SSN 707 Portsmouth (Tomahawk)
SSN 717 Olympia (Tomahawk)
SSN 763 Santa Fe (Tomahawk)
DD 971 David R. Ray
DD 994 Paul F. Foster
FFG 54 Ford
FFG 61 Ingraham
FFG 38 Curtz
AOE 10 Bridge
Torpedoes: 214 US
1999
SSN 754 Topeka (Tomahawk)
(data for 1999 is incomplete)
A SAMPLING OF US NAVY NUCLEAR PROPULSION ACCIDENTS
*28/02/60, SSN 586 Triton, leak in main condenser leading to reactor
shut-down.
*28/11/60, SSN 571 Nautilus, six men soaked by reactor coolant.
*31/12/62, SSN 578 Skate, engine rooms floods.
*24/11/67, USS Savannah, leak in auxiliary reactor cooling system.
*29/12/71, SSN 607 Dace, discharges 500 US gallons of coolant water
into river. USN confirms other previous leaks.
*21/04/73, SSN 612 Guardfish, primary coolant leak requiring venting.
*c.1975, CGN 36 California, spills 15-20 US gallons of primary coolant.
*23/05/78, SSN 652 Puffer, 5-100 US gallons of radioactive water spilled
from the secondary coolant system. Resulted in substantial amounts
of drydock being torn out and sealed into containers for disposal.
*26/05/78, SSN 648 Aspro, 500ml of radioactive water leaked onto personnel.
*11/05/79, CVN 68 Nimitz, primary coolant leak.
*20/06/79, SSN 666 Hawkbill, primary coolant leak of 2 US gallons per
hour for three days. USN says "such leaks happen occasionally".
*20/09/79, CGN 35 Truxton, spill of 13 US gallons of radioactive high
purity water into harbour. May have been 80-100 US gallons.
*20/07/80, SSN 662 Gurnard, spill of 30 US gallons of radioactive water
into harbour.
*03/12/80, SSN 666 Hawkbill, spill of 150 US gallons of radioactive
water during repair work.
*28/09/82, SSN 609 Sam Houston, spills 50 US gallons of radioactive
water. Not released into harbour but one person contaminated.
*02/04/84, SSBN 635 Sam Rayburn, paint found to be radioactive.
*24/11/85, SSN 579 Swordfish, suffered a propulsion "casualty".
*03/01/89, SSBN 659 Will Rogers, surfaces under a British fishing vessel.
*03/01/89, SSN 668 Spadefish, fire.
*07/01/89, SSN 613 Flasher, fire.
*10/01/89, SSN 716 Salt Lake City, collision in Pacific.
*17/01/89, SSN-714 Norfolk collides with the USS San Diego (AFS-6)
near Norfolk.
*21/01/89, SSN 705 City of Corpus Christi, collision while submerged
in the Atlantic.
*03/02/89, SSBN 726 Ohio, fire while submerged.
*24/02/89, SSBN-640 Benjamin Franklin, fire while submerged in Atlantic.
*20/03/89, SSBN 659 Will Rogers, fire in Atlantic.
*29/03/89, SSBN 659 Will Rogers, fire in Atlantic.
*04/89, SSN 662 Gurnard, commander relieved of his command after running
aground.
*07/04/89, SSN 709 Hyman G. Rickover, fire while submerged in Atlantic.
*01/05/89, SSN 713 Houston, plunged towards sea bottom due to a broken
valve.
*03/05/89, SSN 710 Augusta, fire in Atlantic.
*17/05/89, SSN 725 Helena, full failure of gearbox and propeller.
*18/05/89, SSN 639 Tautog, fire in Pacific.
*23/05/89, SSN 669 Seahorse, runs aground in Pacific.
*23/05/89, SSN 662 Gurnard, runs aground near San Diego.
*25/05/89, SS 581 Blueback, fire in Pacific.
*29/05/89, SSN 614 Greenling, equipment operation failure in Atlantic.
*02/06/89, SSN 638 Whale, explosion in Atlantic.
*14/06/89, SSN 713 Houston, snags a tow cable in Pacific (one death).
*16/06/89, SSN 713 Houston, entangled in fishnet.
*28/06/89, CGN 25 Bainbridge, runs aground in Netherlands.
*29/06/89, SSN 717 Olympia, equipment operations failure in Pacific.
*11/07/89, SSN 713 Houston, flooded.
*07/21/89, SSN 685 Glenard P. Lipscomb, deck accident in Atlantic.
*07/24/89, SSN 668 Spadefish, fire in Atlantic.
*27/07/89, CVN 72 Abraham Lincoln, spills 330 US gallons of radioactive
collant into James River, Norfolk, Virginia.
*28/07/89, SSN 660 Sand Lance, fire in drydock.
*23/08/89, SSN 718 Honolulu, equipment operation failure.
*05/09/89, SSBN 624 Woodrow Wilson, collision in Atlantic.
*22/09/89, SSN 671 Narwhal, damaged by hurricane.
*29/09/89, SSBN 735 Pennsylvania, runs aground in Atlantic.
*13/11/89, SSN 670 Finback, fire in Atlantic.
All told, the US Navy had
almost 1600 accidents of all classes in the
1980s. Numbers for the 1990 have not yet been made public.
Ships continued to visit
as the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, but an important change took place.
US President George Bush directed that US Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney
order the removal of all tactical nuclear weapons from the US Navy and
US Army. Cheney thus sent a memo to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on
the subject of
Reducing the United States Nuclear Arsenal on 28 September 1991,
in which he wrote that Tactical nuclear weapons shall be removed
from all surface ships, attack submarines, and land-based naval aircraft
bases.
Assuming that the US Navy, which has a history of being politically uncontrollable, has acted in accordance with the instructions of the Republican president and Secretary of Defense, then it must be concluded that the US Navy is no longer bringing nuclear weapons into Canadian ports or territorial waters. The giant ballistic missile submarines of the Ohio class, carrying the Trident SLBM, are the sole nuclear armed vessels in the naval fleet. However, it has been know that in the past few years the US Navy has once again gone to sea with Tomahawk nuclear weapons, especially at times when the US has been at war, such as the past nine years in Iraq.
THE CANADIAN KIWI DISEASE
In 1984 the government of New Zealand, in accordance with the wishes of the people of that nation, closed their ports to US Naval vessels which would not certify that they were free from nuclear weapons. The US refused to do so, and retaliation was swift. To prevent the spread of the dreaded anti-nuclear "Kiwi disease", the USA promptly ended the decades- old military relationship with New Zealand.
In June 1997 Dr. Ken Calder, the ADM Policy, told the Minister of National Defence that denial of access to CFMETR will be viewed by the US as having a direct impact on their national security interests and may lead to a US response out of proportion to the loss of CFMETR itself. Calder pointed out that New Zealand suffered serious sanctions in response for denying US nuclear ships access to their harbours , and that the US imposed traderestrictions on that country for failing to support US nuclear deployments. The federal government took the threat and action very seriously, and Ottawa was therefore desperate to ensure that the Kiwi disease did not spread to Canada through an action against the US Navy at Nanoose.
DOCUMENT REFERENCE: 12 June 1997, Briefing Note for the Minister of National Defence, "Canadian Forces Maritime Experimentaland Test Ranges (CFMETR) , Commander JED Byrtus (DC Pol), for: Dr. Kenneth J. Calder (ADM Policy, National Defence), Secret(CC). Copy provided in annex.
Cabinet knew that the political injury to Canada-US relations and the potential linkage to much larger bilateral issues is far greater than the significance of the loss of Nanoose. There was no question of Nanoose being a national security matter for the Canadiangovernment. The Minister was informed that failure to hold Nanoose open could damage Canadian international opportunities such as the Government initiative to establish a NATO Flying Training Centre .
The reality is, as noted for the Minister, that the US is by far Canada's most important defence partner. Canada has over 80 treaty-level agreements and over 250 MOUs with the US for a broad range of defence activities. US politicians and officials increasingly claim Canada is not bearing a responsible share of North American and NATO defence burden. Loss of access to the US Navy would be seen as one more reason to question Canada's reliability as a defence partner. Nanoose has always been, for the Canadian government, a way ofshowing the senior partner in Washington that Ottawa continues to be compliant and mindful of the desires of the Pentagon.
CONCLUSION
The United States Navy has demonstrated a poor safety record when it comes to nuclear-powered vessels. In addition, there is the question of nuclear weapons on board USN surface and submarine vessels which cannot be ignored. International law has increasingly turned against such weapons, and the Canadian government has stated that it is committed to a policy of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. The place to start implementing this policy is at home. In addition, the Canadian government has acknowledged in their internal documents that Nanoose is not a military necessity, but rather a political necessity to keep the US government and military happy with the client government in Ottawa. While Canada may well suffer initially from a refusal to allow the US Navy to use Canadian facilities, this is a far better course that to continue to allow a nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed force to operate in Canada.
Dr. John Murray Clearwater
Suite 405
330 Queen Elizabeth Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 3M9 Canada
(613) 234-2290
da710@ncf.ca
Author:
Canadian Nuclear Weapons (1998)
US Nuclear Weapons in Canada (1999)
Johnson, McNamara and the Birth of SALT and the ABM Treaty (1999).
Dr. Clearwater is a graduate of the War Studies Department at King s
College London (UK), where he specialized in nuclear weapons and arms control.
John has lectured at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on
the command and control of nuclear weapons in north American defence.
He was consulted by CNN for his expertise in nuclear issues during the
making of the CNN Cold War study materials. His first
book on nuclear weapons has been made into a documentary by the CBC.
The film will be shown in early September on Zone Libre , CBC Toronto.