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Canadian submarine on limited duty because of generator problem

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 1 (UPI) -- An engine problem has restricted the movements of one of the Royal Canadian Navy's submarines immediately after an expensive refit, officials say.

The Windsor, one of four surplus submarines purchased from the British Navy in 1998, will be limited to operations in coastal waters until one of her two diesel generators is replaced, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. Until that happens, the Navy will have only one fully operational submarine, the HMCS Victoria, which is based on the Pacific coast.

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The Windsor, headquartered in Halifax, completed a long refit last year at the cost of more than $200 million (the U.S. and Canadian dollars are almost at par).

The Windsor is expected to be hauled out at the end of the summer to replace the generator, a process that could take several months. The vessel still has one functioning generator, used to recharge batteries when the submarine is under the surface.

Sources told CBC the Windsor has been withdrawn from planned joint exercises off the southern coast of the United States.

The Chicoutimi and Corner Brook are still in the midst of refits complicated by additional damage. The Chicoutimi has been out of service since a 2004 fire that killed one sailor, while the Corner Brook hit the sea floor in 2011.

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