Navy Submarine Suffered Long-Term Damage to Ballast Tank From Errant Test: Report

Sailors line up on Canadian submarine HMCS Corner Brook to salute Queen Elizabeth II during an international fleet review on June 29, 2010, in Halifax. An internal Defence Department report that says an errant test on one of Canada’s four beleaguered submarines last year caused permanent damage to the vessel that will continue to pose a risk over the long term. Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press

OTTAWA—An internal Defence Department report has pulled back the curtain on the damage caused by an errant test on one of Canada’s four submarines last year, suggesting some of the damage is permanent and could continue to pose a risk over the long term.

Obtained by The Canadian Press through Access to Information, the report represents another setback for Canada’s four submarines, which have spent more time in repairs than at sea since being bought second-hand from Britain in 1998.