HMCS Athabaskan is tied up in the United Kingdom after a lubrication oil failure in the starboard cruise engine.

The vessel was travelling across the Atlantic Ocean to take part in two multinational military exercises called Joint Warrior and Trident Juncture.

A mobile repair team is headed to the U.K. to replace the engine, work the Royal Canadian Navy says will take about a week.

Once repairs are complete, the navy says HMCS Athabaskan will return to sea to participate in the NATO exercises.

The repairs are being made even though HMCS Athabaskan could safely remain at sea using its three remaining engines, according to an emailed statement from the navy.

"It was determined that the repairs will be made immediately to allow the ship to maintain its most economical modes of propulsion while also ensuring optimal engine redundancy," said Isaac Donnelly, a public affairs officer with the Royal Canadian Navy.

43-year-old vessel has a history of engine problems, and will take about 7 days to repair 2:20

Engine problems

HMCS Athabaskan made headlines less than a week before departing for the NATO exercises after an engine room fire.

A few months earlier, the 43-year-old vessel had to be called back to Halifax from deployment because of serious engine problems.

This isn't the first time a Canadian naval ship required an engine replacement while overseas.

Similar repairs were made to HMCS Toronto while the frigate was docked in Dubai in 2013 after one of its three main propulsion engines needed to be replaced.